Ghosts of the Past
by Takada Saiko
Summary: The Shah of Persia and his mother are in Paris and they seem to be behind several unexplained murders. Erik and Nadir have been asked to help, seeing as they have experience, but what horrors wait for them? Why can't the past just die? EC story. R&R ple
1. Default Chapter

A/N: I'm so close to finishing the Susan Kay novel that it's killing me! I have to finish it and yet I don't want to be done with it. That and I'm on the last part where it's in Raoul's POV. : grumble : Ah well. This story has absolutely nothing to do with my story "Angel of the Opera," but I did have another idea of how Christine could make her way back to her Phantom. So here it is. Have fun, kiddos

A/N2: as I said before, I haven't finished Susan Kay's novel as of yet, and so if something happens to our wonderful Persian Nadir, please ignore that for my story. He and Erik still have a friendship, even if it ends in the book (I doubt it will… hopefully… I like Nadir!)

* * *

**Chapter One**

_"Christine, Christine… Why?"_

Christine Daaè looked around her, feeling him all around her, just as she always had when she sung. "Erik?"

_"It's over now, the music of the night! Christine… I love you…"_

Christine shot up suddenly, finding herself in bed. She looked around to see the room Raoul had given her when she had come to live in his home as his fiancé. That had been nearly a year ago and they were still only engaged. She had put it off and put it off, never knowing quite why.

The knock on the door made her jump slightly and she pulled the bed sheets up around her slender shoulders. "Yes? Who's there?"

"Christine? Are you all right? I thought I heard you call out."

"I'm all right," she managed. "I'll be out in a few minutes."

Christine did not hear his reply as she stood and ran a hand through her ruffled curls. She brought her hand down across her face, noticing the wetness that was there. Tears. "Erik… I'm so sorry," she whispered as she sank slowly to the floor, burring her face in her hands and sobbing quietly. "My Angel… My Erik… Poor Erik! Why do you still haunt me? You told us to go. You told us to leave!" She dried her eyes as she stood and peered out the window. _"Angel of Music… Hear my cry. Forgive me…"

* * *

_

It had been a year since the opera house had burned and a year since Christine had left with Raoul de Chagny. Certainly she had married him by this point. What a shame…

"You're moping again."

Erik looked up from where he had been staring at the sheets of music. "I'm not moping. I'm thinking."

"Brooding," his foreign friend said as took his place standing next to the former Phantom.

"Nadir…"

"I know, Erik, stay out of your business, is that it? I only wish you would-"

"I'm working, old friend, not brooding. I just can't recall… Oh hang it all! It took me years to write this opera and now I'm trying to put it all down at once. It's not humanly possible."

Nadir shrugged. "And it took you and Garnier years to build this opera house, but these people have repaired it within a year. Is that humanly possible? It's been built, it's been written. Now you must simply put together the pieces which have been burned."

Erik leaned heavily against the organ and ran one hand through his dark hair. "She was my insparation…"

"See? You were brooding," Nadir said with a bit of triumph in his voice.

Erik's eyes turned upward, blazing. He pulled the music sheets from their place, flinging them as far as they would go. "Do you come here as a friend or to torment me!" he demanded, his voice booming through the otherwise empty house.

Nadir sighed, kneeling down to pick the pieces of paper up.

"Leave it," Erik growled irritably. "Leave it and answer me."

"I come here as a friend, and…"

"Ah, here it comes. The true reason for this sudden visit."

Nadir frowned. "I came here to ask you, as a friend, for your help."

"In what?"

The Persian sighed as he took a seat on Erik's couch. "They're here. The Shah and his mother."

"And that concerns me how?"

Nadir gave his old friend a patient smile. "There have been… deaths. Unexplained to the police, but they're wavering towards the believing that the Shah is behind the deaths. Erik, they've come to me, asking what I might be able to do to help them. I told them I had an old friend… one that once worked for the Shah and knew what he might do, how he would do it. Erik, they've agreed that any crimes that might ever be linked to you will be dropped if you help them. It's a compromise that you will never get the chance to make again."

"They want me to go after the Shah of Persia?"

"It must be very… under the table, if you understand me."

Erik gave Nadir a sly look. "What happened to the promise of no more killing?"

Nadir let out a chuckle. "And you've kept to that?"

"A bit. And in the past year, completely."

The Persian man sighed and let his shoulders drop. "Erik, you might not even have to kill him, only run him out of the country. They're asking you for help. If you say no, you will always be looking over your shoulder."

"And if I say yes and the Shah finds that I did not die backing Persia, you and I both will be looking over our shoulders the rest of our lives."

"No. We will live in peace at last."

Erik stood from his seat and paced slowly. "Tell them I will meet them promptly at ten o'clock tomorrow evening on the grand staircase. No one will be there. There is no opera playing. If they are late, I will not wait. Let them know they should be punctual, if not early." That said, Erik turned, his cape swirling behind him, and walked briskly out of the room.

* * *

A/N: Well well well. A new fanfic. Heaven help us, ne? Let us hope I can see it through. I really plan to work on a couple of my other fics soon… Well, let me know how you liked it. I need a 100 percentsolution of review intake to feed my very needy addiction. 


	2. ch2

**Chapter Two**

A/N: **_BEWARE OF SPOILER FOR SUSAN KAY'S "THE PAHNTOM"!_** Okay, it came to my attention (me being oblivious as I am did not think of this) that some people may get very confused in this story if they haven't read "The Phantom" by Susan Kay. (Go read! Go read now!) So here's the gist of what happened in Persia:

Nadir was the head of police in Persia under the Shah and the Shah's mother (the khanum) really ruled everything. She demanded that Nadir went to fetch Erik (who was in Russia) and he does. The khanum uses Erik and gives him power in the kingdom as long as he will create "amusing deaths" for her. Twisted lady, really. Anyway, things roll on as they are and finally the Shah decides that he wants Erik dead and Nadir helps him to escape by faking his death. So there's the outline of the story for anyone who hasn't read it so that you will understand my little phic. Onward!

* * *

Monsieur le commissaire Mifroid paced back and forth along the end of the grand staircase, eyeing Nadir as he did so. He had been as ecstatic as he could have been when the Persian had brought the news to him. The Phantom of the Opera, legend as he was becoming with his more-less quiet ways in the past year, was going to help track down the murderer that ran amuck through Paris. Over a year ago he would laughed aloud at the idea of this, but now he simply showed up twenty minutes before the appointed time. Now here he stood, paced, and glanced at the large clock that stood in one corner of the large room. "It's eleven o'clock."

"I know it is," Nadir responded easily from his place on the second step.

"Where is this friend of yours, monsieur?"

"Erik will be here."

"Are you so sure?"

"M. le commissaire, you do not know Erik as I do. He will come."

"Well how long should I wait, monsieur?" Mifroid demanded. "The entire night!"

"If he wishes it. You forget, this is his domain."

"Yes… so it would appear. Well he is not above the law, contrary to his belief, and as the representative of the law I will not bow to his every wish. I came as he asked and I have waited. I can do no more and will not delay my investigations any later." He turned to leave.

"M. le commissaire, are you in such a hurry to leave?" Erik's voice boomed and echoed off the empty marble floors.

Mifroid turned, eyes wide and face paled several shades when he could not find the source of the voice. "So you are the mighty opera ghost?"

"I am."

"Will you help us?"

"Perhaps, if it suits my whim," Erik said, suddenly behind the man.

Mifroid turned suddenly and stumbled back a few steps when he came face to face with the tall man that was dressed in all black. His eyes wondered up and down, from Erik's slicked back hair, to his porcelain mask, to his gentleman's clothes and his cape that swirled around him. "I need a yes or a no, monsieur."

Erik moved toward him again, sending the commissioner staggering back once more. "I say yes not for you," he said lowly, "but for Nadir and for my own revenge, do you understand?"

"Perfectly, monsieur."

* * *

"I hear there have been several unexplained murders in Paris as of late," Raoul was saying as he peered over his book.

"Have there been? I suppose we should be careful."

"The way they're described sounds distinctly like someone we've met before, though no lassos have reared their ugly heads as of yet."

Christine glared over her own book. "Just because people are murdered does not mean it is automatically Erik's doing," she hissed.

"I'm only saying…"

"Well don't!" the former opera singer cried. "Just don't, Raoul! It's been said enough in the past year!"

Raoul watched her as she threw the book down on the sofa she had been curled up on and ran from the room. His blue eyes followed her as far as they could before he rose slowly to start after her. "Christine!"

She stopped her near-run down the hallway and turned with tear-filled eyes to her fiancé. "I'm sorry, Raoul, but… Oh I'm so sorry!"

"It's all right, darling," he whispered as he pulled her into his arms. "Really it is." He tipped her chin up so that she was looking at him and wiped a tear from her eye. "The Opera House is opening again this evening with a new opera. Would you like to go?"

"Oh, Raoul, I don't know if I could bare it…"

"But it would do some good. For us both, my love."

Christine nodded. "Then I'll come with you."

Raoul grinned in his boyish like manner and produced two tickets. "Good, because I already got these and it'd be a shame if I had to return them."

* * *

"My sources say they'll be at the opera tonight," Nadir said as he flipped through his notebook.

"What box?"

"Five."

The Phantom narrowed his eyes. "All the more reason to go after these two."

Nadir chuckled and shook his head. "Remind me never to take something you've deemed yours."

Erik smiled at this as he returned to what he was doing. The former head of police dared not look. Whatever his friend was working on was not for his eyes, lest he argue with the methods to be used. He had no right now. No right at all after he'd dragged Erik into it in the first place.

"We've only a couple of hours before people begin to com," the Persian pointed out.

Erik grunted a response but did not look up. Nadir left him to his work.

* * *

People flooded into the opera house. It was a wonderful thing to see, or so Andre and Firmin had thought for the past month that the opera had been open once more. They had taken back their positions as managers, sure that the infamous opera ghost was gone for good.

"Monsieur de Changy!" Andre cried. "A pleasure to see you here, sir! And Madame-"

"Mademoiselle," Christine corrected softly. "Until the wedding."

"Still not?" Firmin chuckled. "Well, time is always needed in these things. Enjoy your show."

"I take it box five has sold?" Raoul asked as he glanced up to the two people in the box.

"Yes. The Shah of Persia is here in Paris and his mother is with him. They were given that box. You are in the one next to them, are you not?"

"Yes."

"Well then, perhaps you'll catch a glimpse."

* * *

"There they are," Erik muttered from the shadows.

"Yes, and some other old friends, it would seem," Nadir answered as he pointed down the hallway.

Erik's eyes followed the dark finger and rested on Christine, who was on the arm of her Raoul. "No… They can't be here tonight!"

Nadir shook his head quietly. "They are. We will watch them closely, my friend. No harm will come to your Christine. I promise."

* * *

"That girl…"

The khanum looked to see Christine Daaè and Raoul passing by to their box on the other side. "What of her, my son?"

The shah's eyes narrowed and a smile crossed his lips. "She will return to Persia with us. I will have her."

"Don't be a fool."

His dark eyes sparked for a moment as he stood. "I will have her," he hissed. "Or you will find yourself quite out of power, Mother."

The khanum sat back in her seat, shying away from her son. He had never shown so much force to her. "Then you shall have her," she whispered. "Whoever she is, you shall have her."

* * *

Quaxo: No! Not a wet noodle! Anything but that: cowers in the corner: Lol. Yes, a story of two of the best villains in all of Susan Kay's story. I love to hate the khanum! She's just so horrible!

Lynx Ryder: You've never heard of it? Oh you poor poor girl! I'm so very sorry! It's "The Phantom" by Susan Kay. Very VERY good book. I just finished it last night. I'm actually planning to be a little nicer to Raoul in this story… Just a little nicer, though it is E/C. Oh, and if you didn't read it, I put the explination of this part of Kay's novel at the beginning of the chapter :)

Elizabeth: Thank you very much! Hope I updated quickly enough!


	3. ch3

**Chapter Three

* * *

**

Erik's eyes blazed in the darkness when he heard the khanum's words. The shah would have her? His Christine? Never! If he couldn't keep her safe in his own arms, he'd relinquished her to that fool of a boy's, telling himself that she would be safe and happy. How on earth could she be safe if the boy didn't even know someone would be after her.

"Patience, Erik," Nadir's voice sounded in his ear.

"I am not a patient man."

"So I've come to find out. I will go about what needs to be done if you wish to watch over her, but pleased, Erik, don't stir up trouble where it is not needed."

"Trouble?" Erik responded, a mischievous sound in his voice. "When do I cause trouble?"

"Constantly."

* * *

"You've been fidgeting since the beginning of the opera, Christine, are you all right?" Raoul asked, concerned.

"I feel as if… we're being watched. It's nothing."

Raoul stood, eyes blazing with unmasked hatred. "_He_ might be watching!"

"No… Well, perhaps, but that's not what it feels like. I just have a horrible feeling about what is to become of this."

"What do you mean, love?"

"It's just-" A knock on the wood next to the curtain of the private box caused the young lady to drop off the end of her sentence, jumping slightly.

Raoul stood. "Yes?" He pulled back the curtain to reveal a nearing-middle aged man. A Persian. "May I help you?"

"I believe you can, Monsieur. You may step out and let me escort your fine lady out this evening."

The Vicomte looked indignant for a moment. "Excuse me, sir, but who are you to be making that sort of request?"

The Persian lifted his chin a bit higher. "The shah of Persia makes no request, boy, but only demands. The girl will come with me."

"I don't care if you're the shah of Persia or the king of England, my answer will be and will remain no. Christine will be leaving with me this evening."

"Raoul, what is it?" Christine asked quietly as she stood.

"Nothing, darling, just-"

"This is your last chance, Monsieur."

"I say no!"

"Very well," the shah answered as he waved his hand. A second man stepped from behind a curtain at the far right side of the box and grabbed Christine, one hand over her mouth and his other arm wrapped around her arms to keep her from flailing. She let out a muffled scream. "Monsieur, I assure you that if you step aside, _Christine_ will be quite safe."

Raoul's eyes were wide as he stared at the shah, but then the blue orbs focused behind him. The shah turned to see one gloved hand coming from the shadows and latching itself to his neck, slamming him against the wall of the box. Erik loomed over him, eyes blazing in fury beyond what he had shown in the past year. "You will release Christine Daaè," he hissed lowly, hands till wrapped around the shah's throat, but eyes focused with a deadly intensity on the man holding Christine. "I assure you that I could snap his neck any time I wished."

The man who held Christine began to shake suddenly. "Angel of Doom," he managed to force through his trembling lips.

The shah chuckled. "So, Erik, you live after all. I shall be wanting that diamond cat collar back."

Erik pulled the shah back and slammed him into the box's wall once more. "Order him to release her."

The Persian man looked up at the man that had served him and his cocky expression turned to one of fear. "Release her."

The man dropped Christine unceremoniously to the floor and her knees buckled.

Erik let the shah drop as well and he gasped for breath. "You won't survive our next encounter, now that I know you are still alive."

"I shall be waiting for you," Erik responded coldly, watching the shah leave with his lackey. He turned back to Christine and Raoul. "Are you all right?" he asked the girl.

"Yes," Christine whispered. "Who… who was he?"

"The shah of Persia," Erik answered with a shrug.

"He really was?" Raoul asked, his face turning white. "My word…"

"You are both in grave danger now," the Phantom said lowly. "I suggest you leave the country."

Christine stood, brushing her dress off and fingering her mouth where the man's hand had been. "And what of you, Erik?"

"We've been asked to help the police," Nadir said as he stepped forward from the shadows. "I thought you would kill him."

"Very tempting, let me assure you," Erik responded.

Nadir nodded his understanding. The time was not yet right."He is correct, you know. You should both leave."

"But… We can't just leave you now!" Christine argued, walking quickly to where her phantom stood. She reached a hand up and touched his mask, eyes locked with his. "That man said he'd kill you."

"I've heard it man times," Erik said with a shrug, moving away from her lingering touch. "Go with your husband now and leave this place."

"He's not… we've not been married yet," Christine answered shyly.

Erik couldn't help but look up in surprise. Not married yet? Did that mean that there was something wrong in their fairy-tale ending? Perhaps… perhaps she was longing for something more than a childhood friend turned lover? No, don't be a fool, Erik! A fool is hurt much more.

Christine turned back to Raoul. "We can help, can't we, Raoul? Please say we can! Erik just saved us both."

"Need I remind you what he's done in the past?" Raoul growled. "No, if that man is after you I want you as far away from him as possible."

"But-"

"Christine, think reasonably."

"I am!" she cried. "Raoul, if you will not stay with me then I shall stay alone and you will never see me again!"

The Vicomte stood in shock. "Very well, Christine. We shall do what we can." He turned to Erik. "I say we have somewhat of a truce?"

Erik stared at the younger man's outstretched hand and then grasped it after what seemed like an eternity. "Yes. Somewhat of a truce then."

Nadir sighed. "Things just became far too complicated for my liking," he grumbled, took out his notepad, and scribbled down some notes.


	4. ch4

**Chapter Four

* * *

**

The room was silent, save for the soft footsteps that sounded off the walls. No alarms had gone off, Erik noted idly, but the steps were far too light for Nadir. He glanced back from his place at the organ and caught Christine Daaè's eyes. He glanced at the clock on the shelf. "Nadir and I were not suppose to meet you for another hour at least."

Christine ducked her head in embarrassment. "I'm sorry… I know I'm intruding."

"You are never intruding," Erik responded, never really meaning to.

This brought a smile to the former diva's lips. "I've missed you, Erik… I've been having these dreams lately. They were of you… singing to me like you used to, but they always end with you saying that it's over." She sniffed back the tears that threatened. "It's not over, is it, Erik?"

Erik stood slowly. "You will have to be more specific, child. Many things have ended since you've left, but many things continue and have begun."

"The music, Erik!" she cried, wiping her own tears away. She stepped closer and held out her hand to touch the left side of his face. "It's not over, please tell me that."

"It… lingers," he said at last. "It lingers here in this place only because I am unwilling to let it go." He sighed and turned his back to her, pulling from her touch. "But after this is over, I will leave it behind. Perhaps I will travel again."

"You'll leave this place?"

"What do I have left?"

"Me," Christine whispered, her voice barely audible. "Oh please don't leave me, Erik!" she pleaded, latching onto his flowing cloak.

He spun, his eyes sharp with unreleased fury. "Don't toy with me, Christine! Go back to your Raoul before I fall too fast to stop myself!"

"What if I were to say that I didn't want him? I made a mistake!"

"I'd say you were a very fickle child."

"But I'm not a child any longer, Erik! Please! Angel…" she cried. "My soul was weak, forgive me! _Enter at last, my love."_

Erik turned back to her when she began to sing, his hands shaking slightly with the emotions coursing through him. _"Flattering child, you shall know me. See why in shadow I hide. Look at your face in the mirror, I am there inside."_

_"Angel of Music, guide and guardian. Grant to me your glory! Angel of music, hide no longer. Come to me strange angel…" _She reached one slender hand towards him, beckoning him.

_"I am your Angel of Music," _Erik sang softly, moving toward her. The roles had been reversed. It was now she who had he in the trance. _"Come to me Angel of Music…"_

A smile broke out across Christine's face as she clasped her hand in Erik's own gloved one, slipping the black glove from it and kissing his fingers. "_In sleep you sang to me. In dreams you came. You are that voice which calls to me, and speaks my name. And my Phantom of the Opera is here, inside my mind."_

Erik pulled her closer, running his now bare hand across her smooth face. _"Sing once again with me, that strange duet. You have a power over me, that grows stronger yet. You do not turn from me, to glance behind, and here I am once more, inside your mind."_

Christine reached a hand to his face, holding it over his mask for a moment before slipping it off gently. He seemed not to notice as he fell deeper intothe sound of the music. She caressed hisdeformed face lightly._"And though I have seen your face, I love you still. I am the mask you wear. It's you they hear. Your spirit and my voice, now intertwined. The Phantom of the Opera is here, inside my mind."_

_"In all this time, you always knew, that love and devotion."_

_"Would come from you."_

There voices melted together in the empty house, echoing off of the walls. _"And in this labyrinth, where night is blind. The Phantom of the Opera is here, inside my mind."_

Erik leaned next to her, kissing her softly. _"Sing for me, my Angel of Music."_

_"You're here, my Phantom of the Opera."_

_"Sing," _he whispered once more, and sing she did. Her voice reached the furthest part of the house and over the underground lake. When she closed her mouth, she melted into him, her eyes closed in contentment. He seemed to stiffen at once, realizing that during the time she had kept him in her own trance, she had slipped his mask off. He reached for it and she placed a hand over his.

She whispered the words she had replaced the lyrics with. "And though I've seen your face, I love you still." Standing on her toes she kissed his rough, deformed cheek and he felt as if his knees might give way under him. He held her close and she wrapped her arms around his neck. "_I have come here, to that moment where words run dry. Where speech disappears into silence. Silence. I have come here, hardly knowing the reason why." _She smiled up at him at him. _"I am here with you. No second thoughts. I have decided. Decided._" She let out a breath and leaned her head against his shoulder. "It's taken me so long, my love, but I have decided. I'm sorry for the pain I've caused."

Erik shook his head as he buried his face in her hair, forcing a sob of pure delight back. "As long as you are here with me now, Christine."

She pulled away from him gently. "I have to tell Raoul…" she whispered. "Erik, he's been good to me, and he deserves that much."

"He will take you away, telling you what a horrible murderer I am."

Christine choked on a small sob that made its way to her throat. "Then we'll prove it," she whispered. "We'll prove you are a good person and he can't say anything against you. We can do that, Erik. If you help the police catch these murderers, he can't say that you are horribly wicked, can he?"

Erik chuckled as he kissed her gently. "He still could, but I understand what you're saying. We'll do what we can, but for now I want you to be safe. It is not safe with me."

She nodded slowly. "I love you," she whispered as she started for the stairway that would lead her upwards to the dressing room. She would always love him, she was sure. Raoul would just have to understand.

As she made her way up the stairs she heard his voice echoing behind her. _"You alone can make my song take flight... Help me make the music of the night."_

* * *

A/N: I went singing crazy again, kind of like in "Angel of the Opera." Oh well, I like doing that, using lyrics from the play and changing them to fit my story. It's much fun. Please feed my addiction and review!

Lynx Ryder: Haha! Two long reviews! I was out of town and pulled up and was thrilled! I'm sorry to hear that you cannot find Kay's novel for a descent price. I got it from the library. (how much is 50 pounds – assuming that's what the symbol meant - in dollars, do you know?) Oh! Your comment about "go rich boy go!" sent me rolling on the floor laughing last night when I picked it up! It was great! Sadly enough, though, he didn't believe the shah that he WAS the shah, therefore he really didn't have much of a backbone… ah well… Yes, the collar is a book reference. Erik made it a habit of stealing in Persia for the simple pleasure of knowing he could. The shah kept a diamond collar on his favorite cat, and Erik stole the cat, collar and all, and returned the cat, but the collar mysteriously disappeared… Ayesha (Erik's Siamese cat) now wears it. I'm glad you like Nadir. I do too. In the book he's tracking down Erik and he always has this little notebook he's looking through and I found it rather humourous (sp?) to have him using it now.

Sue Raven:Oh! I'm so glad it's original! So few things are anymore it seems… Hope I updated quickly enough for you :)

Elizabeth: No problem! I'm on break from school right now so I should have some time at least to update. I hope you liked this chapter!


	5. ch5 pt1

**Chapter Five (part 1)**

"You've been humming the same melody the entire way here," Raoul said as he helped Christine from the carriage. "What is it?"

She blushed. "It's nothing… Just a few notes, that's all."

Raoul looked away for a moment. "It's something _he _wrote, isn't it?"

"Oh, Raoul…"

He turned back to her, blue eyes flashing with sadness. "Christine, is it or no?" he asked, voice strained.

She nodded slowly. "Words… Beautiful words from so long ago."

Raoul's shoulders slumped and he looked defeated for a moment. When she did not continue he opened the door to the opera house. "What are these words?"

_"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness wakes, and stirs imagination. Silently the senses abandon their defenses…Helpless to resist the notes I write, for I compose the music of the night."_

"That's very beautiful, Christine," her fiancé said after a long moment. "I hardly hear you sing anymore. Have I… kept you from it?"

Christine shook her head. "I don't know what has kept me from it. I always sang for Papa, then for…"

"For Erik."

"For the Angel of Music," she whispered. She looked down, cheeks red with blush. "Raoul, I need to tell you," she whispered, looking up to his eyes. "Don't be angry, please-"

"Monsieur de Changy!" M. Mifroid's voice sounded off the empty marble. "Mademoiselle Daaè. A pleasure to see you both here. I hear you may be of some help."

"We'll talk later, Christine," he whispered, then turned back to the man before him. "We'd like to do what we can. We have reason to believe that this… shah may be after Christine."

"Ah?"

"He attacked us in our box last evening," Raoul explained.

"The shah of Persia is not accustom to hearing the word no," Erik's voice boomed from some unknown location. It caused the commissioner to look about nervously, Raoul to frown, and Christine to hide a small smile behind a hand as if she were coughing. The Phantom of the Opera stepped from his place, Nadir following behind him. "And we're down one item we could have had as leverage."

"That being?" Mifroid prompted.

"He now knows I am alive," Erik answered with a shrug. "Though that matters very little at this point. What matters is that we keep Mademoiselle Daaè safe and work this out as quietly as possible, is that not true, Monsieur Mifroid?"

"Very true," the aging man said with a sigh.

"What if we were to set a trap?" Nadir asked, flipping through his notebook. He glanced up to find all eyes focused on him and he sighed heavily. "The shah wants Mademoiselle Daaè and Erik. We could set them up on stage together, pulling the shah out – heaven knows he's dipped his head below our vision by now – and causing him to make a move. He won't pass up an open chance to get them both."

"He'll know something that obvious is a trap," Raoul argued.

"But he's far to conceited to think he might be caught."

Erik shook his head. "You have a decent idea for a trap, Nadir, but Christine will not be the bait."

The former diva straitened her shoulders. "I thought I made fairly nice bait before," she commented with a huff.

Erik spared her a glance. "My dear girl," he drawled, "you were perfect bait for me, but I cannot guarantee your safety…"

"You know the passages, Erik," she argued. "If something goes awry we can escape."

"I see no other way to wrap this up quickly," Mifroid answered sadly. "If you are both – individually – willing to be used as bait, then we will set it up with the managers."

Erik glared for a moment, but then sighed. "Very well."

* * *

Andre and Firmin had been none to happy to hear that their Opera Ghost was up to something, be it for good or evil. They kept the commissioner in their office for two hours arguing back and forth over what should be done and what cost it would be. In the end Mifroid won. Christine Daaè and Erik would be on the stage the next evening with Raoul behind the curtains. Police officers would be scattered through the crowd, ready to jump into action if need be, and Nadir would watch from a location Erik did not give out. The opera to be performed was chosen for the irony in it all: _Don Juan Triumphant_.

* * *

A/N: Yes, I know this is short, but my mind is really short-circuiting tonight. I'm just exhausted, but here is the first half of the chapter for you! 

CloudxInxCrimson: Love your name. Very cool. I'm glad someone else likes Nadir as much as I do. He's got such depth in the Susan Kay novel that you can't help but love him! I hope I updated quickly enough for you :) thanks for your absolutely lovely reviews!

Elizabeth: Thanks for the review! Here's your (first half of the) next chapter :)

Lynx Ryder: I mean for it to be fluffy and you mock it… Haha, but that's okay because when I read your comments to it it makes so much sense! Lol! Wow! That's one expensive book over there! Libraries! Great things! It's only like… 21 dollarsover here, I think. Goodness…


	6. ch5 pt2

**Chapter Five, part two

* * *

**

"Are you nervous?" Christine whispered.

Erik looked at her carefully, judging his answer before giving. "No," he said slowly. "Not for me, at any rate."

Christine smiled and blushed slightly. "I will be alright, Erik, with you beside me."

"Your vicomte would not be happy to hear that," the Phantom said quietly. "You have not told him yet, have you?"

"I tried, but…"

Erik shook his head. "If you still wish to after this is over, you will. If you do not, you won't. Simple, isn't it?"

She turned to him, running her fingers over his mask and through his hair. "I love you, Erik. Please believe that."

"I… It's time for the show to start, my dear."

The former diva nodded slowly and watched him leave for the stage. It was only moments before she was motioned to follow.

A sense of déjà vu settled over her, but this time the trap was not set for Erik, though she and Erik, like before, were the prey. Her eyes widened as she realized what a large crowd had shown that night. If something were to go wrong… If the shah were to realize what was happening… They could relive the entire chandelier incident once more. She shuddered at the thought.

Her voice seemed to work on its own, the lyrics coming to her. _"…no dream within her heart but dreams of love…"_

Her eyes glanced back without her command. There he was. Erik was there as he was supposed to be. She heard him sing quietly before his words reached her. _"You have come here, in pursuit of your deepest urge. In pursuit of that wish which till now has been silent. Silent. I have brought you that our passions may fuse and merge. In your mind you have already succumb to me, dropped all defenses, completely succumb to me. Now you are here with me. No second thoughts. You have decided. Decided." _He was behind her now, his hand resting gracefully on her shoulder. She looked up and back at him, their eyes meeting. His were cool, working through the situation as if it were a trivial matter, but hers, she knew, were wide with fright. He ran his hand from her shoulder, down her arm. Though an involuntary shiver passed through her, it calmed her a bit. _"Past the point of no return. No backward glances. The games we played till now are at an end. Past the thought of if or when. Abandon thought and let the dream descend!"_

"I see them," Christine whispered as quietly as she could. "They're in box five."

"_What raging fire shall flood the soul? What rich desire unlocks its door? What sweet seduction lies before us…?" _He tipped her chin up so that her ear was closer to his mouth. "Keep your eyes off them," he muttered, feeling her tense against him.

* * *

"They're in box five," Nadir said quietly from behind Raoul.

The vicomte turned, not having known that the Persian stood behind him. His eyes had been trained on his fiancé and the man that held her on stage. Held her far too close for his liking. "Say again?"

"Box five," the Persian repeated. "No no, don't look. You'll give us away and ruin any chance for their survival."

Raoul nodded and let out a long sigh. "I've lost her, haven't I?"

"Was she ever yours to begin with?" Nadir responded with a shrug. "It is not for me to say, nor even you."

"Monsieur de Changy!"

Raoul turned and recognized the petite blond girl that Christine had called Meg Giry. "What is it?"

"It's Mama!" the ballerina answered, white with fear. "I heard her scream from back stage and I feared the worse! I rushed in just in time to see a dark man taking her away…"

"The shah's taken her," Nadir said lowly. "Which way did they go, child? Tell me quickly or your mother may not survive the encounter."

"Back towards the southern end of the opera house. It's been under construction as of late. Monsieur, can you save her?"

"I'll do what I can," Nadir answered. "Stay here, lest they take you as well. Monsieur de Chagny?"

"I'll keep my eyes open. Please help Madame Giry."

Nadir nodded and was suddenly gone, leaving Meg staring fearfully up at the tanned vicomte. "What is going on, Monsieur? Mama was talking with the Opera Ghost, but she wouldn't tell me what was happening. Please, sir, is she in danger?"

Raoul forced a small smile. "I wouldn't worry about her too much, Mademoiselle Giry. Your mother is a very bright lady."

* * *

Christine watched Erik's eyes. He was watching something, she knew. His entire body was taught with apprehension of the end of it all. _"When will the blood begin to race? When will the sleeping bud burst into bloom?" _She wasclose to him. So close that she felt she could reach out and touch him. _"When will the flames at last consume us?"_

The next half a second happened faster than her mind could bring together. There was a strange sound that she could not place in the split second she had before Erik's eyes widened and he was the one that reached for her, calling out her name. She felt him puller her close, spin her around so that she stood where he had, and then he went rigid, his eyes widening once more before he let out a shaky breath and his knees acted as if they might give way.

"Erik?" she whispered, fear creeping into her voice. "Erik?"

"The lever," he managed, reaching a shaking hand for it. "Christine, hold tight."

The singer wrapped her arms around him as the stage gave way to his trap door.

* * *

Nadir made his way silently through the dark hallways. He could hear the hysteria even from there, but he put it out of mind for the time being. He had to find Madame Giry, and find her he would.

The woman was tied to a chair, feet secured as well as hands and a gag stuffed into her mouth. She glared at him fiercely when he entered, her eyes daring him to come closer.

"Madame Giry, I am not hear to harm you," Nadir said in careful French. He reached one hand to pull the gag from her mouth. His next words were rushed when she looked as if she might scream. "I am a friend of Erik's."

"Of Erik's?" she demanded.

"My name is Nadir Khan. I knew him from Persia, long before this opera was built."

"He's spoken of you briefly."

Nadir gave her a small, tight smile. "I trust you have sense enough to ignore most of his exaggerations. May I?"

"Please do," she responded and he began to untie the knots around her wrists. "What's going on out there?"

"I really don't know, Madame. Your daughter came to Monsieur de Chagny and me to tell us of your abduction."

Madame Giry stood quickly. "Well we shan't keep them wondering where we've gone to. Come."

"Nadir! Madame!"

The two turned to see Raoul jogging up to meet them. "What has happened?" the Persian demanded.

"There was a gunshot, aimed for Christine. Erik swung her out of the way and then they disappeared."

Madame Giry stood strait. "Come with me, Monsieurs. I know where they have gone to."


	7. ch6

**Chapter Six

* * *

**

Christine groaned. They had not landed gracefully as they had the first time Erik had whisked her away through that trap door. No, graceful would be the last thing she would have called the painful tumble that they had taken when they hit the ground. "Erik?" she whispered into the pitch-blackness. She felt panic begin to grip her when no answer came. "Erik? Erik where are you?" She reached around, not able to see anything. "Please, Erik…"

Her hand finally met his face, the tips of her fingers touching the mask first. "Erik?"

He moaned this time, shifting his weight and his hand grabbed hers. "Are you hurt?" he asked, his voice sounding strained.

"No… I'm all right. What happened?"

"We need to get lower," the Phantom responded, ignoring her question as he rose very carefully to his feet. He took her hand to help her up and they moved carefully down the dark hall. She stayed by his side, so close that he could feel the heat of her body. She clutched his hand with such fear that it was everything he could do not to pull her to him, promising her protection, but protection was something he might not be able to give at the moment.

It seemed like an eternity before they reached the underground house. Christine blinked against the gaslights and it all came into focus. No one had been down here, at least that was for certain. No alarms had been tripped and no signs of injury to his home were evident. It was the Phantom himself that she finally saw stumble. "Erik!" she gasped as she ran to his side, easing him to the couch where he slouched onto it. The diva reached her small hand to where she now saw the blood soaking through his jacket.

"Confound it all, Christine, leave me be!" he growled, catching her hand up before it could even come close.

There was such harshness in his voice that tears pricked her eyes as she pulled away from him. She glared slight, trying to hide her own weakness. "I'm not going to hurt you, Erik!"

"I know." He paused, shifting again so that he was sitting more than lying. His voice softened. "I know, Christine. I am sorry."

Tears rushed down her face then and she flung her arms around his neck, pushing him back against the couch, burring her face into his shoulder and sobbing. He sat there, stunned at first, then slowly wrapped one arm around her, holding her carefully. "Christine?"

"You'll be alright, won't you?" she whispered.

He forced a small smile. "Of course, my dear," he answered her quietly. "Quiet now. No more tears. We have guests."

Christine turned to see Nadir and Madame Giry standing in the entrance. The Persian man shifted, slightly uncomfortable and the woman that had taken her in as her own child gave her a smile. Raoul and Meg followed them in. Her fiancé said nothing as he moved forward, but only stared at the now ashen-faced Erik with Christine still in his arms.

"Raoul…" Christine began slowly.

"How badly were you injured?" Raoul asked, directing the question at his rival.

"Nothing that will set us back. I take it we made no progress?"

"None that I know of. M. le commissaire will know, of course, but we had another matter to deal with."

"That being?"

"Madame Giry," Nadir said simply. His eyes locked with Erik's for a moment, the two old friends conversing in a silent conversation, before he moved forward. "Let me take a look at you."

Christine watched Nadir help the taller man from the sofa and into the next room. Her eyes remained locked on the door that closed behind them for several moments before she turned back to Raoul. He shifted under her quiet gaze, but then sighed. "You love him."

"I do."

"Were you going to tell me or simply come back here to be with him after you had married me?"

"I tried to tell you, Raoul… I didn't want to hurt you! You did so much for me and you were so good to me. What was I to do? I love Erik. I…" A small, sad smile crossed her lips with her next words. "None of us can choose where we love. Who we love."

"Something he told you."

"Yes… Though it's true, isn't it, Raoul? I really did love you, in my own childish way. I've grown up so much, Raoul, but I've got so far to go… I'm so sorry that I hurt you. Please… Don't just stand there, Raoul. Say something."

He had been standing there, staring. He vaguely noticed that Madame Giry had ushered Meg off down into another room. They were there alone. If he wished it, he could take her by the arm, quiet her with a simple hand over her mouth, and drag her off to the nearest priest. He could do that. Now he understood Erik's moments of madness the year before. The utter despair. The thought that in the end, it didn't matter if she wasn't by his side.

Finally he sighed, his shoulders heaving up and then down. His eyes locked with hers. "None of us can choose," he whispered. "They are very true words, Christine. I've loved you since that day that I chased your scarf into the ocean."

A sad smile crossed her lips. "I'm no longer Little Lotte, Raoul."

"And I see that now." A silence passed for a moment and he reached up for her face, brushing the curls from it. "I understand why he did what he did last year. To think of you on the arm of any other man…"

Christine choked back a sob, but said nothing.

"If you wish, you will never see me again after this ordeal is over."

"You are my best friend, Raoul."

"And if you wish it so, I will stay as such." He gave her a mock bow and a sad smile, turning his tear-laced eyes down. "Your wish is my command, m'lady."

* * *

"The wound itself is not terrible," Nadir said as he placed a warm, dampcloth on Erik's cool skin to clean the blood away. "But you know that is not the worst of it, don't you?"

"I was not employed by the shah without knowing some tricks."

"Or course, but you never studied the… oh what did you call it? 'Cruse Persian toxins.' Yes, I believe that was the phrase."

Erik hissed in pain and clutched at the small couch's cushions. It had been more-less a blur since they had all arived. Nadir had ushured him into his room, and now hefound himself lying face down on the small couch by the fireplace. He shuddered as Nadir moved away and resisted the urge to curl up. "Do you… have any idea how long?"

"No," Nadir said quietly. "I'm not entirely sure what they dipped the bullet in, but knowing you, you'll live through it if you have the will to. And seeing the way the girl was looking at you out there…"

The Phantom grumbled something under his breath. "She shouldn't know of the poison."

"Is that wise?"

"Did I ask that? I simple said she shouldn't know."

"She'll be angry."

"Well yes, if she finds out."

"Erik, you will not be able to hide this. Need I remind you that the last time that you dealt with Persia's poisons you were retching blood the first night and it went downhill from there. You won't hide it from her." He moved opened cabinet after cabinet until he found what he needed and pulled the bandages from them. "Sit up." Erik did as instructed, albeit very slowly. "Perhaps you should send her away with the de Chagny boy."

"I'd risk loosing her all over again."

"Or risk loosing her forever. You'll never be able to protect her like this."

Erik nodded slowly and stood, testing his own strength. When he found his legs willing to hold his weight, he stepped forward and made for the door. He turned back to his old friend. "Not a word."

"Not without your permission."

"Thank you," Erik said sincerely as he reached for his porcelain mask that would replace the black one he had worn as Don Juan.

* * *

Madame Giry and Meg had moved back into the main room. Christine stood the instant she saw Erik. "Shouldn't you be lying down?"

"I'm alright," he responded quietly. "And you, child, have you been crying again?"

She smiled slightly and wrapped her arms around his neck, nearly sending him stumbling back. "I am no longer an engaged woman," she whispered into his ear. "I am free to love you openly and fully as I have in my heart."

Erik pulled her close for a moment, inhaling deeply the very scent that was Christine. He had to do what was best for her. "May I ask something of you, my love?"

"Anything."

"Go with your Raoul."

Christine went nearly as pale as Erik had become. "What? Why? Why would you ask…?"

"I… cannot protect you, Christine. I cannot bare to loose you forever."

"I will not leave you," the diva answered sternly.

"They will find this place, child, don't you see?" he asked, voice giving way to his frustration. "They will find it and if you are with me they will take you or kill you. You will be safe with… with him."

"Perhaps," Raoul said from his place in a chair, "it would be best if we all went into hiding for a bit. You are injured, Erik, and Christine is not going to leave you. I have a place in the country that will keep us safe until we can come up with a suitable plan." He looked pointedly at Erik. "All of us."

"That sounds as if it might be the best of plans," Nadir said before Erik could comment. He returned his friends glare and set his jaw. "Put your pride aside for once in your life and do what you know is the best for everyone."

Erik opened his mouth as if to give a harsh retort, but then his eyes met Christine's worried ones. His mouth closed and his shoulders dropped in defeat. He turned his mismatched eyes to Raoul's steady blue ones. "It seems… as if that would be best."

Raoul nodded. "Then arrangements will be made and we shall be off within the hour."

* * *

A/N: For those who have not read Kay's book, Erik was poisoned in Persia and was in terrible shape, but he survived. Yay for that! Lol.

Lynx Ryder: My only reviewer as of now… :hugs: thank you! Yes, I'm afraid I did shoot Erik. :tries to look innocent: You've read my PotC fics! You know I torture my main characters! Lol. It's a horrid habit, I know, but ah well… Thanks for reviewing :)


	8. ch7

**Chapter Seven

* * *

**

"This is madness."

Christine turned her eyes over to Erik who was shuffling a few belongings into a bag. "Erik, Raoul's just trying to help…"

He shoved the last piece of clothing into the bag and gave her a strained look. "Does it not bother you that he seemed to show no trouble with letting you go?"

The diva stepped forward and placed a hand on his arm. He flinched at first, but then relaxed, covering her hand with his own. "He is having trouble, Erik, he simply shows it… differently than you."

Erik's eyes flashed briefly. "Ah? He doesn't loose himself into temporary madness?" he demanded, harsher than he meant. She pulled away from him, eyes filling with tears. "I'm sorry, Christine," he whispered. "I…"

"I know," she answered quietly. "Please, let's try to make it through this. All of us."

He nodded. "If it is what you wish."

"It is."

* * *

The trip to the de Chagny home was hell. Erik was paler than Christine had ever seen him by the time that they stopped. Half way through the overly bumpy trip he had curled himself up in the corner of the carriage, as far back in the shadows as he could get. Even Raoul, who had greeted him with a cool formality of one containing his secret loathing, looked slightly worried. Nadir had been shifting nervously until Madame Giry had reached over and placed an aging hand on his shoulder, trying to calm him.

"Christine?"

Christine turned to Raoul at the sound of her name in her ears. "Are we there?"

"Yes." He reached a hand for her and she gave him a slow smile.

"A moment, Raoul," she whispered and moved to the place where Erik sat, his eyes half closed, either not realizing in his haze that the carriage had stopped, or simply not caring. She reached a hand gently to him and brushed the left side of his face. "You're going to have to get out now, Erik," she said gently. "Please, love."

He stirred, his eyes coming to focus on her. They were bright with the fever that had set in and he reached his own gloved hand up to wrap it around her smaller one. "Just a moment, my dear," he said quietly. "I'll be along in just a moment."

Christine's eyebrows knitted in concern. "Erik, you said that your wound was alright."

The Phantom shifted and started for the door of the carriage, as if trying to prove her words correct. He hated lying to her. Hated it more than anything, but the façade must be kept if they were to have any chance of living through this. The dying sun reflected off the white porcelain that covered half of his face and he reached a hand out to help Christine.

She gave him a startled look. "About to fall over and you're offering me help?"

A small smile crossed his lips at the sound of her light voice, but he did help her from the carriage. She hopped out, letting their hands linger. "Please promise that you'll rest," she begged quietly.

"Isn't that what we're here for?"

She nodded. "But somehow I fear you won't."

* * *

The house was not small by any measure of the imagination, but it was not the grand home that the de Chagnys would have called their main house. No, this was a summer cottage, for lack of a better term, though "cottage" served it no justice. Even Erik was impressed at the beauty of it.

"People are always here," Raoul was saying as they entered. "So please excuse the other guests. I believe… Yes, two ladies that my aunt knows are here. A friend of hers' – dead for a good many years now – daughter and her friend are staying here as of now. They really make very little racket when here. I've seen them once before. The elder – the daughter's friend, I believe – is overly quiet. I'm not sure I've heard her say more than two words."

"Is there something wrong with her?" Meg asked.

Raoul shrugged. "Lost everything in the world, I'd say. Her husband died before their son was born and I believe that Marie has mentioned that her son has been dead a good many years, or at least they suspect him so."

"That's horrible," the dancer breathed. "Simply terrible."

"Ah, but she is a fan of the opera. Perhaps you might meet her, Christine?"

Christine looked up, startled. They had sat in the library some time ago, chatting about trivial things as servants brought tea in. Her eyes remained fixed on the door that led to the hallway which in turn led to the room Erik was lying down in. _Nadir is with him_, she continued to tell herself, with little to know good. "I'm sorry?"

"Madeleine is a fan of the opera."

"Oh," the singer answered carefully.

Raoul smiled a bit, noting her distant expression. "I said that perhaps you would like to meet her. Such a sad old lady."

"Of course," Christine answered, rising. "That'd be lovely, Raoul."

He stood as well and reached an arm out for her. "She spends most of her days here in the gardens," he explained as they started out.

Christine made a small sound of acknowledgement as she followed him to the gardens. There sat two women. One looked a bit younger, her greying red hair tied up and she motioned toward the opera singer with a smile on her face. The other woman, the one Raoul had called Madeleine, turned and Christine could not suppress her gasp. Her mind flashed back to the day she had seen the sketch in Erik's layer. The beautiful woman that had looked so much like her was the same as the one that sat there before her. She was aged, yes, and life had been hard on her, but certainly it was the same woman. Madeleine. Erik's mother.

* * *

A/N: Yes yes, anyone who has read Kay's novel is screaming at me "Saiko! You fool! Did you skip that whole chapter! Madeleine died!" To which I reply: "Yes, dears, I know, but I've completely erased the end of the book for this phic, and so why not erase that bit as well for my purposes?" In other words, Erik never went back to his home after leaving Persia. He never met with Marie, and Madeleine is, obviously, very much alive.

Lynx Ryder: Oh! The word "confounded" is my favorite word in the world! It's so much fun to use! I regret to say that I did not write the line of "None of us can choose where we will love." That is Kay's doing. I did add the last bit, if that counts for anything lol. And as to Raoul's letting the break go and to him being calm and all that… well as to the calm, he's not, but he's doing it for Christine, and as to them all being at his home, I wanted them there and it seemed like the easiest way to get them there. I had bits and pieces of this written up in my head and had to find a way to piece it all together. Getting them from the layer to Raoul's house had to be written in lol. And as to the rough ride, oh heck yeah! Remember what I put Jack through in all my stories? Hehe… Poor Erik. I might even be a bit harder on him b/c he's just a wonderful angst filled character. Hehe…


	9. ch8

**Chapter eight

* * *

**

"Marie Perrault, Madeleine, this is Christine Daaè," Raoul introduced, seemingly oblivious to Christine's white face.

"My dear, what is the matter?" Marie asked, looking concerned.

"Oh! I'm sorry…" she stammered. "It's just, your friend looks so much like a sketch I've seen before of a woman… It startled me very much."

"A sketch?" Madeleine's voice was soft, though with wariness and not kindness as was her friend's. "Whose, Mademoiselle Daaè?"

Christine fumbled for an answer for a moment. Erik had been so reluctant to speak of his mother when he had shown her the drawing. Tears had gathered in his eyes, a long-ago hurt still burning within him. _She hated me and I hated her, _he had said. What horrible words! What a horrible woman!

"Christine?" Raoul's voice penetrated her whirling thoughts.

"I'm sorry," she mumbled quickly, not thinking as the next words tumbled out of her mouth. "Perhaps I should go check on Erik…"

"Erik?" Madeleine asked, seeming to grasp the name and hold to it as if it were her last hope for salvation. "Erik?"

_Bumbling fool_, Christine cursed herself silently. She nodded dumbly, unable to think of anything to say.

"Tell me…" Madeleine began, but then stopped, her eyes turning sad. "I'm sorry, child," she whispered. "A foolish thought by a lonely old woman. I once had a son by the same name."

"What became of him?" Christine found herself asking quietly.

"He… ran away," the old woman managed, tears filling her eyes. "I was too cruel… Too horrible of a mother."

Marie placed a comforting hand on her friends shoulder. "Shh, Madeleine. Please don't cry." She turned to the diva. "I'm sorry, Mademoiselle."

Christine shook her head. "No, it's quite alright," she mumbled. "If you'll excuse me."

* * *

Madeleine was nothing as Erik had described her, except for her appearance. Even with age and hardship, her beauty lingered beneath it all. There was a loneliness in her eyes that reminded the singer of her love. She shook her head. "No no," she muttered. "We have enough to deal with." That decided, she continued her way down the hall towards the room where Erik lie, hopefully, resting.

* * *

Nadir replaced the cool cloth on Erik's face and the younger man shuddered and gasped. His mismatched eyes fluttered open and he put one hand to his face, looking as if he might succumb to panic when he did not find his mask there.

"We are alone," Nadir said simply, catching one flailing wrist and putting it firmly back to the bed. "Quiet now."

"How long… have I slept?" Erik managed between gasps.

"An hour, perhaps two. Might I assume that you feel no better?"

"Try worse. Where's Christine?"

"Raoul took her to meet a guest."

Erik nodded. "Good."

Both men's eyes turned to the door as a small, quiet knock came from it. It opened slowly and Erik flew up, searching wildly for his mask. He reached one hand up to cover the scarred side of his face as he turned to see Christine peeking in.

"It's only me," she said with a smile.

"More the reason to find it," came the Phantom's response.

She gave him a small laugh and moved closer, picking up the porcelain mask as she passed the table it lay on. Carefully and slowly she took hold of the hand that covered his face, pulling it away and kissed his palm lightly. Still tense with uncertainty he watched her as she turned her eyes to his face. "I love you," she whispered, kissing his marred cheek and placing the mask in his hands to do with as he pleased. "How are you feeling?"

"Better," he whispered, voice raw with surging emotion.

"Liar."

"Perhaps, but then why did you ask?"

"I was hoping you'd tell me the truth," she responded quietly. "Lie down, Erik, you'll only make it worse, won't you? Please do lie down." He did as instructed and she ran a hand through his hair and over the mask that he had hurriedly replaced. "You're burning up."

"I've been trying to get his fever down," Nadir, nearly forgotten in his spot, commented. "It simply won't for the present."

Christine turned her worried eyes to him and he gave her a small smile in returned. "I've lived through worse, my dear."

"That's only a bit encouraging…"

Erik chuckled at this, but soon the chuckle turned to a cough. The cough, in turn, caused him to shudder violently and turn to one side, away from Christine. He brought a hand to his lips when he tasted blood. A shiver passed through him and he lay there for a moment after the fit had subsided, breathing as deeply as he dared without provoking another attack. His shaking slowed when Christine's hand came to rest on his bare arm. He hadn't realized until that moment that he had no shirt on and his mind pointed out how improper this truly was.

"Erik?"

"I'm-"

"You're not fine!" she sobbed, latching onto his arm tighter. He grimaced as her nails bit into his skin. "Erik, please…"

He turned to her, eyes showing his exhaustion. "I'm sorry, Christine," he whispered, reaching up to her face and running one long, skeleton-like finger along her cheek and tracing the shape of her face. "I thought it best…"

"For you not to tell me everything?"

"Yes."

"Well, it wasn't," she whispered, her voice laced with hurt. "Please tell me, Erik. Maybe I can help…"

"No," the Phantom managed, voice growing weaker. "The poison must run its course."

"Poison?"

He'd closed his eyes, seeing as his lids had been drooping anyway. He let out a long sigh and opened them again. "It will run its course and I will be alright."

"Are you sure? You said you'd been hurt worse before, Erik, how? My word, what have they done to you?" she whispered fiercely as she clung to him. "You swear to me you will be alright?"

"Yes, Christine. Perfectly well."

"Then I believe you. If it were anyone else I would be a fool now, but it's you. I believe you, Erik."

The Phantom smiled and forced himself up, pulling her to him as he did so. He cradled her for a moment, unmasked side of his face pressed into her thick curls and he inhaled her scent. It was the sound of the knock on the door and the sound of it swinging open at that knock that caused him to look up in irritation.

"Mademoiselle Daaè?" Madeleine was calling, but her eyes widened and her face went white when she met the two-coloured eyes of the man holding the girl she had been searching for. She stared, her hand over her mouth and tears standing in her eyes. "Erik…"

Christine spun around, eyes wide. "Madame!"

Madeleine was babbling incoherently by this point, tears streaming down her face as she leaned against the doorframe to keep from passing out. Erik looked to see if Nadir would help her, but the Persian man had disappeared at some point during his conversation with Christine.

"Madeleine, did you find her?" Marie's voice came around the corner before she appeared, her eyes following her friend's gaze. Her mouth dropped open. "Erik!" she gasped.

Madeleine was stumbling forward now and Christine sat back on the bed, afraid to interfere between mother and long-lost son. She sank down to the floor next to the bed and looked up at her son, tears falling freely. She reached forward, her hand hovering over his.

Erik watched, eyes fixated on her. They were cold and distant, yet held a bit of curiosity, though it was hidden far beneath the chill. He snatched his hand away when his mother touched it and pulled from her completely. All illness seemed to flee from him and weakness took a backseat to his anger. His voice boomed in the small room and his eyes lost the hint of anything other than pure rage. "Don't touch me!" he growled out, causing the aging woman to fall back and shake with fear.

Christine watched the man she loved with careful eyes as he stumbled from the bed, shaking with either rage or exhaustion or fever. Perhaps it was all of that combined. Either way, he looked as if his knees might give way. "Leave."

"Erik…" Madeleine pleaded quietly.

"I said _leave_!" he yelled. Christine was sure he would have lunged at her if she hadn't grabbed hold of his hand, clung to his bare arm, and held him there with love. He turned to her and his expression softened slightly. "Just get out."

Madeleine scurried out then, followed quickly by Marie. They left Erik leaning against the wall and Christine hugging him closely. No words were spoken as Christine's quiet sobs filled the room. No words were needed as she looked upward and saw the silent tears streaming down Erik's face.

* * *

A/N: Madeleine… I could never decide if I liked her or not. I couldn't stand her at first, but I think on some level she really did love Erik, therefore that is the picture I portray of her now. She deserves that much.

Quaxo: I'm glad you liked the twist. I really was struggling with if I should put Erik's mother in this story or do a one shot where he returned to his house (like he does in the book) but instead finds his mother alive and deals with it like that, but I wanted so badly to put her into this story and I thought it would make for such an angsty turn of events.

Lynx Ryder:Yes, it is a sad story for her, but, being as you haven't read the book (and wow! It's just as expensive in America! What' sup with that?) I guess you wouldn't know about her background. :keeps forgetting to make notes: I'll put it this way: When Erik is born and she sees just how deformed he is, she literally throws him as far as she can get him. A baby. Yeah, not the best introduction to her character. And, as it says in the play, his first piece of clothing was a mask. Madeleine does get better, though, in her own way. She's just about to make a full turn around when he runs away at age nine. This is after her boyfriend wants to admit Erik into the looney bin and she tells him that he won't be taking her son and he can go on without her. I was very pleased with her at that point. That's Dr. Barye, incase you see reference to him. Erik leaves thinking she'll marry him and be happy, but he finds out in the book some years later that she never did, but since I've conveniently forgotten that part so that my story works, he simply still thinks she's married to him. Glad I caught you off-guard with bringing her in! That made me so happy! No one was expecting it, not even me! Lol!


	10. ch9

**Chapter Nine

* * *

**

Christine sighed as she stood by the bed. She'd finally coaxed Erik into lying back down, knowing full well if he did not he would collapse there on the floor. As soon a he had stretched out he seemed to be asleep, though certainly not resting well. The diva stroked his sweat-dampened hair back from his pale face and kissed his unmasked cheek carefully. He moaned and turned toward her, mumbling something she could not grasp.

"I'm here, Erik," she assured him quietly, still stroking his hair back absently.

He turned his feverish eyes up to her. "Stay?" he rasped.

"Yes, my love. Now and forever and for as long as you'll have me," she answered sincerely and kissed him gently.

He opened his mouth to say something more, but the sound of a fist hitting the door made them both jump. Christine turned towards it. "I'll be back in a moment," she promised and moved away. She knew his eyes were on her as she opened the door to find Raoul standing there, blue eyes narrowed. "What on earth do you think you're doing?" she demanded in a hushed whisper.

"What do _I _think I'm doing?" he answered, matching her tone.

"Raoul, please, we came here so that Erik could rest and recover. How do you expect him to do that if you come barging in and slamming your loud fist into doors?"

"Do you have any idea what he's done?"

"Hush! Please, Raoul! What on earth are you talking about?"

"Madeleine."

"What of her?" Christine demanded, irritated by the mention of Erik's mother.

"Sobbing uncontrollably in the halls! He's been here less than a full day and he's frightened the poor old lady! And don't you dare defend him, Christine, because Marie was with her and all she could say was his name."

"Stop it!" Christine hissed. "Just stop it now, Raoul! You don't know what you're talking about! You really don't so just let it rest! Please…"

Raoul stood and stared at her for a moment, turned his eyes to the bed where Erik still lie – whether asleep or awake they could not tell – and then back to Christine. "There's something between them."

"Yes."

"What?"

"I can't say, Raoul. Please don't ask it of me. It isn't my secret to tell."

"It's Erik's," Raoul grumbled. "Always Erik's secrets!"

Christine shook her head, trying to hold back tears.

"Will I see you for lunch, Christine?"

She sniffed. "Won't you have them bring it up, Raoul? I… He needs me."

"He's worse than we imagined, isn't he?"

"I don't know," she whispered, voice so quiet he barely heard.

Raoul took her by the shoulder, pulling her from the room gently and shutting the door behind them, "And if he dies, then what?"

"He won't!"

"You don't know that, Christine."

"I do!"

"How?"

"He promised…"

"Don't be a fool! How should he know?"

Christine let out a choked sob. "Leave, Raoul, please. I can't take this. I really need to be with him now. Please."

"Yes," the vicomte said slowly. "Your poor Erik. I'm sorry Christine, but I'm only human and still very much in love with you. You'll just have to forgive me if I cannot give you up entirely yet to that monster in there!" That blurted out he turned on his heels and stormed down the hall, leaving Christine to push open the door and flee to Erik's side.

* * *

"Madeleine?"

Madeleine looked up to see Marie enter. "Yes?"

"Mademoiselle Daaè is here to see you."

"Tell her I don't wish to see anyone," the elder woman said miserably.

"She insists. Please, Madeleine. Let her enter."

Finally she relented and Marie showed the opera singer into the small room. It was only lit with the sun's late afternoon rays and the grey-haired woman seemed to shy away from them in her sniffling condition. She turned her large, beautiful eyes on Christine and stood slowly. "Mademoiselle Daaè."

"Please," Christine said slowly. "No formalities are needed."

"Very well."

They sat for a moment as Marie poured tea and then joined them. Finally Christine sighed. "He's really only spoken of you once. It was very brief, very painful for him to do so and I did not push it."

"Was he ill?" Madeleine asked suddenly. "He looked so very pale and saw the bandages… Was he hurt?"

"Yes," Christine whispered. "He's resting now."

"You got him to rest?" Marie asked, looking over her teacup. "You are heaven-sent, my dear."

Christine stared at her for a long moment. "No," she whispered. "No, I'm nothing of the sort. Erik is my angel."

"Then you love him," Madeleine said quietly.

"Yes. Please… You needn't feel obligated to tell me, but I fear I will upset him if I ask this of him. One doesn't have to know the past to love someone in the present, but… Women are so extraordinarily curious, you know," she finished with a small laugh.

"He was brilliant as a child," Madeleine whispered. "I ignored him until I could no longer. He was born with his face as it is now. You've seen it, I take it?"

"Well… yes."

Madeleine shuddered. "I wouldn't touch him as a little boy." She began to cry now. "My poor boy. I even denied him the one thing he ever really asked me for. Did you know, his fifth birthday was the first we celebrated. Marie-" she motioned at her friend – "made me. Erik asked me if he could have anything he wanted and, as all mothers, I told him within reason." A sad smile crossed her lips as the tears ran down over them. "It took him a bit, but he finally told me what he wanted. He wanted two. One for then and one for later, when the first was used up, you see." She paused, bringing her hand up to her mouth as the memory surged. "What kind of mother cannot give her boy a kiss, even on his birthday? When that is all he asks for, why can a mother not even give him that?"

Christine found herself staring. A kiss? That's all he'd wanted… She suddenly longed for her Erik then. Longed to hold him and tell him she loved him more than life. To kiss him.

Marie reached forward and patted Madeleine's shaking shoulder. "Please, Madeleine…"

"Oh he hates me! With good reason too," Madeleine sobbed. "I thought he was dead! He ran away when he was nine, Christine. Nine! What mother lets their child leave at nine!"

"Madeleine, you didn't know," Marie said softly.

"But I should have!"

Christine was holding back tears as she stood. "Madame, perhaps I should speak with him when he wakes. Perhaps…"

"I shouldn't ask it of you."

"Make no mistake," Christine said, straitening her shoulders. "I would not do it for you, Madame. I would do it for Erik."

* * *

Erik stirred when the door opened and he began to sit up. Christine's gentle hands pushed him back to the bed and she lay next to him.

"Are you crying, love?" he whispered.

"A little."

"What happened?"

She looked up at him, tears falling from her eyes and she kissed him. When they pulled away she took a breath and kissed him again. Finally when that ended he chuckled slightly. "To what do I owe for this?" he asked with a smile.

"You may have a kiss from me whenever you wish, my angel," she whispered and nestled closer to him.

He stared at the top of her head for a moment before kissing it in confusion and lying down with her.

* * *

LostSchizophrenic : Oh you lucky person you! A copy of your very own! Did you pay an arm and a leg for it? I just got mine at the library… Love the book! Hope you do too!

Lynx Ryder:Well, the picture came from the book, therefore I really don't know why he kept it… Wasn't Madeleine just horrible? The story she tells in this chapter is from the book as well. It was terrible! I just wanted to hug Erik! He was so adorable in the book as a little kid…

Clever Lass: It took a lot for me to decide if I should bring Madeleine and Marie into this story or give them a short fic of their own, but I thought it would add to the plot line very nicely, and I've only gotten good reviews from it, so I'm glad with the decision I made.


	11. ch10

**Chapter Ten

* * *

**

It was nearing dinnertime when Christine next woke. She rolled over in the bed, reaching for Erik and finding only empty bed. Her eyes opened widely and she searched the room. "Erik?"

"Surely you aren't planning to lie around all evening," his beautiful voice reached her ears, though from where she wasn't quite sure.

"Where did you go, my angel?"

"To get dressed," the Phantom answered as he entered the small room, buttoning the last button on his shirt and then turning his attention to the cuffs. "As you should."

"Are you feeling that much better?"

"For the moment."

Christine sighed as she pulled herself from the bed, running her hand through her tangled curls and trying to make herself look presentable. Erik did look better, she had to admit. What little colour his sun-deprived face did have had returned and his shakiness had subsided. She smiled as he crossed the distance between them and pulled her close.

"Erik?" she murmured into his shirt.

"Hmm?"

"If I ask you something, do you promise to hear me out and not become angry?"

His long fingers, which had been slowly running through her hair, suddenly stopped their motioned and he pulled just far enough away to look her in the eye. "What is it, Christine?"

"Promise."

He gave a small groan of exasperation. "Please, Christine…"

"Very well, I'll take that as a promise," she announced with a smile and kissed his cheek. "I went to talk with Madeleine."

Erik stumbled back away from her, giving a small cry. "Oh Christine! Why?"

"I had to know, Erik," she answered him truthfully. "As I told her, I do not need to know the past to love you in the present, but I want to love all of you, even your past, no matter how dark." She reached out a hand to him and he took it, pulling her close once more. "We talked a few moments and I would like it – if you would do it for me – if you and I could perhaps meet her and Marie for luncheon tomorrow. We'll be here for a bit, Erik. You cannot avoid her the entire time."

"I'm quite good at making myself scarce."

"Please, love."

"Christine, you do not understand what you are asking of me." He caressed her face and kissed the top of her head. "Love, we hate each other."

"She was cruel, even from the little she told me. Horrible and does not deserve forgiveness, but Erik, I truly believe she does not hate you, and perhaps never did. Erik, even if you never forgive her – and you have a perfect right not to – please give it one chance to see if you might."

"Why?"

"Because she seemed so… broken." She turned her eyes up to him. "Like someone else I once knew."

"You pieced me together, Christine."

"Is there not still one piece missing?"

Erik shook his head. "No. Everything I was missing was long ago filled with love for you." He sighed. "And for that reason, I'll do as you ask, but let's make it dinner. It'll give me an excuse to avoid your former suitor."

Christine laughed at this and hugged him close. "Are you well enough?"

"For the moment."

"Will it come back?"

"I… don't know. Perhaps it is over, but I highly doubt it."

"I'll be here with you."

Erik smiled down on her. "Thank you. That is what gives me the will through it."

* * *

Raoul was not surprised to hear that Erik and Christine would not be joining them, but his interest was peeked with he heard that they had made plans with Marie and her quiet friend. The servant that had given him the news shook his head sadly when asked to give more information. He could no give what he did not have.

They took dinner in the music room. Erik's eyes lit up when Christine mentioned it and she had not gotten him to sit since they hat entered. He was pacing the room, running his beautiful hands over the old piano, testing the strings of a violin, and flipping through several pieces of music. He looked up at last when the door opened and Marie poked her head in. "Are we late?"

"No, we have not been here long," Christine assured her. She watched Erik replace the music, his eyes trained first on Marie and then his mother who followed the younger woman.

Madeleine pushed a strand of grey hair back fretfully and smiled in Christine's direction, a silent thanks emitted from her eyes. "Erik," she greeted.

"Mother."

Marie seemed to light up with that single word as she scurried further into the room. "Oh Erik, dear! It's been so long! We thought you were dead, surely!"

Christine watched her as she moved closer, hands clasped over her heart. Erik had explained several things to her before they had come. One being the plain Mademoiselle Marie Perrault. She had been his mother's closest and only friend for the longest time after his birth. She had called him "Erik dear" as if it were the name that had been given to him at birth, though she shied away just as much as Madeleine did from physical contact with him. Though her words had always been kind. The diva found herself with a soft heart towards Marie that she could not yet give to Madeleine.

"Terribly sorry that I could not oblige," Erik growled, glaring ever so slightly.

Marie blushed a bit. "Oh my, no! Please don't say such things, Erik dear! It was the furthest thing from what I meant!"

A smile teased the very ends of his lips and he turned away from her, back to the music. Away from her and away from the elder woman who had said no more than his name.

Madeleine moved forward, each step as if she were pulling a great weight behind her. She knew as well as Christine did that it was taking all of his will to stand in place as she approached her son and took one of his thin, almost skeleton-like hands in her own and gripped in fiercely. "I'm sorry," she cried softly. "We came here for a civilized dinner, did we not?"

"We did." His cold tone made her shiver and let go of his hand.

"Well then," Christine said, clearing her throat to gain attention, "shall we have dinner? Then perhaps some music?"

"Music would be lovely!" Marie exclaimed with all excitement. "Did you know Madeleine was nearly an opera singer? Quite a lovely voice she has."

Christine turned questioning eyes to Madeleine and smiled. "So that's where Erik gets his talent, hmm?"

Madeleine shook her head. "No. I may have been able to sing long ago, but I don't think he got it from me."

Dinner began and ended in silence. Uncomfortable silence that reigned down around the four of them and smothered them to such an extreme that they ate hardly a thing and the wine kept coming. Erik shifted in his place, catching Christine's eye.

"Perhaps we should move onto the music now?" Christine offered as she stood.

Marie nodded her agreement. "Do you still play, Erik dear?"

"Yes."

Christine followed the Phantom to the piano that stood by the window, the dying sun playing on his features and leaving half of his face shrouded in the darkness of shadow. "What shall we sing?" she asked, touching his shoulder lightly.

He ran one hand over the ivory keys and, without warning, they began to dance across them, the notes drifting into the room. Christine smiled as she recognized it. The music that had been playing over and over again in her head the last few days. "Sing with me," she whispered into his ear and he looked startled.

_"Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation. Darkness stirs and wakes imagination.. Silently the senses abandon their defenses, helpless to resist the note I write. For I compose the music of the night."_

The music swayed them together as Christine joined in, her voice in perfect harmony with his. All else was lost to the music of the night. Madeleine was not standing mere feet from him, the shah was not after both of them, and they were not in Raoul de Changy's house with the possibility of death hanging very closely over the Phantom's head. They were in the darkness of paradise, the notes the only light they needed.

Christine closed her eyes and felt her soul soar as it had not in a year. The music slowed and she looked at him, their eyes meeting and Erik stared at her intensely. _"Only then can you belong to me…"_

As the song dwindled to the end she knelt down next to him, putting a hand on his knee and resting her head on it. Marie's quiet sigh was the only sound they heard as the music of the night's magic washed over them and finally left them to dry on the shore.

"That was truly beautiful," Madeleine said at last.

Erik seemed to startle out of a trance. He stood suddenly. "If you'll excuse me, I'm feeling ill and I shall take my leave."

Before anyone could say anything, he was gone, taking every bit of his music's magic with him out the door. Christine sighed from her place on the floor and stood. "I should go with him."

"Thank you, my dear," Marie said with a bright smile. "You don't know what you've done for two old women today."

Christine nodded, not sure of quite how to answer, and followed after her Phantom, longing for the music to return and stay.

* * *

LostSchizophrenic :Yes, I would consider that an arm and a leg, but the 300 would be considered perhaps the other arm and an eye thrown in… That's jut insane! Too expensive! I saw some twenty dollar ones… why not buy those:never understands:

Clever Lass:Yes, that is a good point, isn't it:giggles: I like the idea of a diary. That's something I haven't thought of, and a very good idea!

Allegratree:Ah now, I really enjoyed your review! Thank you very much! I'm sorry that I've confused you, but I'm glad that my notes have helped. You see, when I started this, I had gotten the impression from other fics that "The Phantom" was very widely read by other authors, but since then I've discovered not as many as I first thought, so I've been trying to add notes where I think that the story won't cover what's being talked about. I totally understand not being able to afford the book! Wow, I got mine from the library thinking "yeah, this is hard-covered, that's why it's so expensive," but I've seen some soft covered versions for more! It's ridiculous. Thank you very much for your suggestions. I'll really try to take to heart what you said about using a wider range of descriptions. About the lyrics, I'll most likely lessen them quite a bit, but my goodness! Do you not like them in the play? Or have you not heard them put to music? (didn't quite grasp what you were saying if you just didn't like how I was twisting them or them in general) If you haven't heard them on the CD or something, I highly recommend you get to your nearest library and check out the CD. The music will take your breath away like nothing else. Overall, thank you very much for your review. I do plan to write for a living, so critique on my general style is always appreciated so that I can better it for the public, Much thanks :)

Lynx Ryder:I nearly cried in the book when Madeleine wouldn't kiss Erik. She started sobbing and shoving him away and screaming at him that he must never ask that again. It was terrible! Poor Erik…


	12. ch11

**Chapter Eleven

* * *

**

Nadir shifted his gaze around the darkened garden. Darius was supposed to have been here nearly half an hour ago. His servant was never late, especially not by this amount of time. This made the Persian man uneasy.

With a half irritated, half worried sigh he moved forward in the darkness toward the bench. "I'm getting too old for all of this," he muttered. He was just steps away when the tip of his boot caught some unseen object and he went tumbling forward. Cursing and groaning all in one breath he sat himself up and looked to see what had been his downfall. A hand? Attached to an arm. While that was somewhat of a good sign, his breath still caught as he moved to the bushes and pulled them back. Darius lie face down in the dirt.

"Darius?" Nadir called softly, reaching for his, hopefully, unconscious servant. His eyes darted around, ready for anything that might come at him from any side. "Darius, answer me."

The groan that greeted his ears never sounded so good. Darius' dark eyes fluttered open and he jerked upright. "Sir!" he mumbled, mind muddled by the bump on the back of his head. "I'm sorry…"

"Hush!" Nadir commanded. "Come now. Quietly. We don't know if they're still here." He pulled his servant from the bushes and helped him to his feet. "But I can guarantee that they know we're here."

* * *

The room was quiet and dark when the Persian entered. He pressed the door open, the only sound being the key that he slid into the lock and turned. "Erik?"

He heard the sound of shifting from the bed and a lamp's light burned his eyes as it flickered on. The light played across the Phantom's half-masked face as he stared at his old friend, obviously waiting for an explanation to why his sleep had been disturbed.

"They know we're here."

Erik's one visible eyebrow rose in a questioning manner and he stood. He looked ill again and Nadir reminded himself that the Phantom had not been present at dinner. If he had eaten anything at all, there was really no way to know, but certainly Christine would have taken care of that.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his voice raspy.

"Yes. I found Darius unconscious under a bush outside. They know."

"We shall have to move quickly."

Nadir paused. "Are you all right?"

"Of course."

A frown crossed the other man's dark lips. "Erik, you don't sound well. Where's Christine?"

"I sent her to bed," Erik snapped. "She had no business wearing herself out on my account. She wanted to sit up all night with me, and when I told her I'd have none of that she offered to simply sleep by my side… Innocent girl doesn't know what she offers." He took a deep, shaky breath, eyes fixed on his friend's. "You say they're here now?"

"I'd wager as much."

Nodding, Erik reached for his shirt and slipped it on, doing up the buttons and started for the door. "Then I say it's time we start into action."

Nadir's answer was cut off by the sound of a woman's scream echoing through the halls of the house. Their eyes met and Erik was out the door in a flash, leaving his elder friend in the room.

* * *

Raoul met the Phantom in the hallway outside of Christine's room. They looked at each other briefly before the vicomte reached forward, causing the door to swing open without much contact. "Christine?" he called.

"What happened?" Marie's worried voice sounded from behind.

Erik did not answer as he brushed past Raoul and knelt onto the floor next to her bed and then moved to the window that still swung on its hinges. Her abductor had picked her up and, more than likely swung her over his shoulder to carry her down to the ground level. They were long out of sight. "Damn you," Erik growled lowly.

"What happened?" Madeleine breathed, her voice barely audible. She pulled her robe closer to her thing body and shivered.

"They took her!" Erik roared, his temper flaring in all its glory. Everyone in the room took a step back from the angry Phantom. "Bloody son of a-"

The sound of the door closing shut off his curse and he turned wild eyes towards the Persian man standing with a smirk across his face. "Cursing the shah's mother," the man drawled, "is not wise."

"Taking the woman I love is not wise!" Erik retorted, his teeth clenched in rage.

"Yes, but there is an alternative to searching the world over and not finding her until it is too late, if ever."

Erik's shoulders straitened and his eyes narrowed, though he said nothing. Raoul took a step towards the Persian man. "What can we do?"

"His Highness wants his magician," he said simply, motioning to Erik. "'The freak and the beauty,' he ordered me. Though…" His eyes wandered around the room, resting on where Madeleine huddled next to an equally frightened Marie. "He would not be opposed to more fun."

"Monster," Madeleine growled fiercely.

The Persian man sneered and took her chin his hand. "You'd do well to keep your mouth shut or else-"

Erik's thin hand clamped around the other man's wrist with such a force that the other stopped and looked up, startled. "And you would do well to treat a lady – any lady – with a bit more respect than your _culture_ asks you to." His voice was dripping with sarcasm with the word culture. How many times had Nadir said that this and that was their 'culture.'

"They don't run from me," the Persian man jeered.

Erik released his wrist long enough to backhand him, sending him stumbling several feet back and to the ground. Men emerged from the shadows with such haste that Marie let forth a scream. They swarmed Erik until he could do little but allow himself to be forced to the ground, head pulled up by the hair. His eyes seemed to glow in the darkness, hate lighting them.

"The two ladies and the young man will also be coming with us," the Persian man stated as he picked himself up. "We shan't have them running after us." He pulled a cloth from his pocket and poured something onto it, a cruel smile crossing his face. "Good night," he told Erik as he forced the cloth over his nose and mouth. The Phantom struggled only a moment before finally loosing out to darkness.

* * *

LostSchizophrenic :Depending on where you live, you might be able to get a loan from another library, for future reference. Me, personally, I'd like to own the book, but I'll wait until I can find it for a good price :) Madeleine knows he's ill, because Christine told her so when they met briefly, but she just doesn't know to what extent. Don't worry, she'll be finding out soon enough. :evil cackle:

Lynx Ryder:I agree, Madeleine doesn't deserve forgiveness, but neither did Richard in PotC, eh? But I think most of my readers forgave him well enough. (what's with me and screwed up parent/child relationships!)


	13. ch12

**Chapter Twelve

* * *

**

A/N: I would say 'Happy Good Friday,' but that sounds kind of odd, doesn't it, considering Good Friday is the day that, traditionally, we celebrate the _death_ of Jesus Christ. It's Sunday that is really the wonderful part of it all though. Though, all and all, Happy Good Friday and may God bless you.

* * *

The world came slowly into focus and Erik groaned. He blinked twice, his eyes eventually focusing in on the area surrounding him. Bars met his vision. Bars of a cage. They'd tossed him into a cage. His breath caught in his throat and panic began to rise. Of all the things they could have done! Of all the horrors to inflict upon him! He began to struggle, finding his wrists chained to one bar above his head.

"Erik?"

Raoul de Chagny was in no better position across from him, though his eyes were calmer. Of course they were. He had no idea of what it was liked to be caged like an animal. Stripped of all human dignity and chained up to be mocked and jeered at. The aristocrat could have no idea. "What… did they do with everyone else…?" The Phantom managed, forcing the fear and panic out of his voice.

"I don't know. They weren't brought it in with us. Can you get free?"

Erik forced his eyes upward to look at the chains. No, they weren't even chains. They were ropes, tied far too tightly around his small, fragile looking wrists. Did they think so little of him? He turned his attention to the other man, his rival, tied to the other side of the cage. They had a good eight feet between them, but it did neither any good.

Raoul seemed to be avoiding direct eye contact with Erik and it took a moment for the Opera Ghost to realize why. The panic he had forced down returned in full when he realized his mask was not in place. A cage had been bad enough. It alone would haul old nightmares to the surface of his mind, but the cage combined with the thought that anyone who entered could see his face sent him into such a panic he could barely keep it below the surface.

The memories of the cage and his humiliation flashed through his head with such intensity that he had to close his eyes against it. Children poking him with sticks as if he were some stray dog. Javert in all of his perversion. The screams and the laughs. _You raised more skirts than Don Juan himself!_ Erik shuddered.

"Erik?" Raoul's voce was unsure and he now watched the Phantom closely. It was a horrible sight, the other man's face. He could not deny it. Half of it was normal enough. The half he showed to the average person, but the other side that he kept hidden by the mask was worse than the vicomte had remembered. True, he hadn't been looking closely as he had begged and pleaded for him to release his Christine below the opera house. It had been dark and he had been angry, but now they were, more or less, on the same side and he could barely bring himself to look at the horribly disfigured sight. Though as it was, he also found himself staring with a sort of curiosity. It had been that horrible curiosity that brought his eyes resting on the tormented figure and brought the name from his lips.

Erik looked up, shivering. He looked as if he was forcing his breath in and out of his body. "What?" he growled out.

"Are you ill again?" was all the younger man could ask. He didn't know what was going on, but it couldn't be good. The Phantom was his one hope of getting out of this alive so that they could save Christine.

"I…" Erik began, breath coming in short gasps now. He lay his head back against the bars and turned his scarred cheek against the bars. "I don't handle cages... well," he finished at length.

Raoul raised an eyebrow and left it at that. He turned his head as best he could to look behind him as footsteps echoed down the hall. The Persian that had taken them away entered, followed by two servants. He smiled a cocky smile. "Good to see you both awake," he said in perfect French. "If I remember correctly, Erik, you have a bit of an unhealthy fear of cages."

"Unhealthy for the person who thinks of putting me in one," Erik retorted, voice steady.

"The Grand Vizier Mirza Taqui Khan found that out the hard way, did he not?"

Erik raised his chin. "I did not kill him."

"No? Everyone thought you had something to do with it."

"Everyone was wrong," Erik snapped, voice echoing through the room. It faded out, leaving everything deathly still and his eyes blazing in fury.

The Persian man shrugged. "I was a child then. I do not remember it well. My mother, on the other hand, saw you leave."

The Phantom froze, his eyes fixed on the man outside of the cage.

"Yes yes," the other answered. "My name is Kashim Khan. He was my father. What? Sound a bit too dramatic? Something from the opera house, hmm?Yes, it does, doesn't? Perhaps you think I went begging the shah to let me have my revenge? No, that I can assure you I did not. What do I care if you killed him or no? It was so long ago… Even if you weren't responsible for his death, I wouldn't mind seeing you dead."

Erik pulled against the restraints that held his hands.

"Are you wondering what I've done with your pretty lady?" Kashim asked, voice taunting. "She is very beautiful and the shah said that I may use her against you until he calls for her. He will call for her, Erik, I assure you. She's still pure, no? Not for long."

Erik lunged against the ropes pulling as hard as he could, his eyes blazing with hatred. "Leave her be!" he roared.

Kashim let loose a hearty laugh. "Should I?" He snapped his fingers and Christine was brought into the room. Her eyes lit up when she saw the two men and Raoul too began to struggle. Their captor sneered. "Oh save your strength. You'll need every ounce."

"Erik! Raoul!" Christine called out. "Oh please!"

Kashim grinned at her. "Poor child. How can you love such a thing, hmm? I might understand the gentleman there, but the magician? What on earth can you see in him?"

Christine glared daggers at the man and held her head high in defiance.

"Answer me, bitch!" When she did not he slapped her, sending her reeling back.

Erik was free of his restraints and against the bars in a second's time. He shook the bars in a fierce attempt to free himself. "Touch her again and I'll kill you!" he yelled.

"Really? How might you do that?" the other man laughed. "Come now, Erik, you're smarter than that! Now, I must know, the other two women, are they friends of yours, Monsieur de Chagny?"

Raoul glared, saying nothing.

Kashim smiled again, motioning for them to bring Marie and Madeleine into the room. "Tell me, my dears, how do you know these gentlemen?"

Marie sniffled a bit. "My m-mother knew Raoul's aunt and M-madeleine is Erik's m-mother," she managed. Raoul looked up with a start, staring at one then the other.

"Is she now?" Kashim asked, eyeing the aging woman with mischief in his dark eyes. "Such a beautiful mother for such an ugly creature. One would hardly believe it."

"Be it your score or the shah's score to settle, it is all with me. Let them go!" Erik called to him from the cage. "They've caused you no harm."

"No, but seeing you hurt is an added bonus." He turned to his servants. "Put the _ladies _in with de Chagny. Take Erik." His eyes turned dark with hatred. "We'll show him just how far we've come with our torture methods since he last dealt with the shah. They have learned quite a bit from your methods."

Erik was dragged out of the cage, thrashing and cursing the entire way, trying to escape, though the poison that still raced through his veins kept him from doing so.The women were thrown in with Raoul. The man who had hold of Christine stopped a moment as they passed Erik. The diva turned tear filled eyes up to him. "I love you."

"And I you," he whispered, voice strained."I promise you, Christine, this will all be over very soon."

"For you at any rate," Kashim mocked. "Take him down stairs. You, m'lady, would do well to stay quiet lest we decide that you should be dealt with as well."

Christine watched with large, horror filled eyes as they dragged her angel out of the room and threw her into the cage. She felt Madeleine's hand come to rest on her shoulder. Tears were streaming down the aging beauty's face. "Erik's always been strong," she whispered through her tears. "He'll come back to you."

The diva gave her a strained smile. "I know."

* * *

LostSchizophrenic :You really don't get a good vision of Madeleine until VERY far into the book, but she is redeemed to some extent. I'm glad you got the book! You'll enjoy it! I'm really tempted to ask my library if I can just buy this copy from them for the price on the cover… I don't know if they'd do that.

GoldenLyre:Two people, yes, but come now, this is the Phantom of the Opera we're talking about. He'd have sent an army if he were smart! Glad you're enjoying it :)

Clever Lass:Hmm… That would be interesting. I've said since I first saw the movie "C'mon, Raoul, you can have any girl you want! Let Christine stay with Erik!" But nooooo! He wouldn't listen! Every time I go back to see the movie, guess what, she leaves with HIM:grumbles: I mean, c'mon, he wants compassion from Erik, but shows none to him. Typical typical. Maybe he will learn, who knows? I never know how stories will go. They write themselves. Glad you like the twists!

Lynx Ryder:Well, okay, **_I_** forgave Richard. Against my better judgment, mind you, but I forgave him in the end because as much as I didn't want it, he kept coming out better and better with each story! Well, maybe Madeleine will end up that way and maybe not. Who knows? I am at the will of my characters because they write the story, not me :)


	14. ch13

**Chapter Thirteen

* * *

**

The room looked much like the ones Erik had seen in Persia. Ancient forms of torture lined the walls and into the main part of the room. Nothing creative, the Phantom noted, and that within itself said that the shah's twisted mother had found no one else to create her entertainment.

"Hello, Erik." Speak of the devil herself.

Erik shifted his eyes to where the little sultana stood, her head held high and her dark eyes sparkling with some sort of sadistic pleasure in what was about to happen. "All that time," she drawled, walking closer, "you created the deaths for me. All that time you entertained me."

"Not a moment in life I reflect on fondly."

She slapped him. It didn't even have enough force behind it to make his head snap to one side and a small smile crossed his lips. Irritation radiated from her. "You will keep that hideous mouth of yours closed!"

"Or what?" he mocked. "You already plan to beat me. What else might you do? I assure you, Madame, that any beating you've given me can not amount to what I have suffered in the past."

"We shall see. I learned quite a bit from my Angel of Doom."

"I'd advise you to put it all out of mind. They were from the twisted mind of a boy hurt beyond his years."

"And now?"

"Everyone grows up," Erik responded with a shrug.

"Yes…" the little sultana muttered. "Christine Daaè. My son is absolutely infatuated with her. Even more so when he discovered that you love her."

At the sound of Christine's pure name leaving the other woman's very impure lips, Erik struggled against his captors, rage filling his eyes and the small woman before him laughed.

"Yes yes! I've struck a chord there, have I not?" She smiled. "By the next time she sees you, you'll be well on your way to a very entertaining death."

* * *

The doors to the room that held the cage swung open and Christine looked up. She felt Raoul, long since freed of his bonds, stand behind her. Even after all that had happened, he stood ready to protect her.

The diva let out a gasp when she saw who they dragged in behind them. Erik was limp in their grasp, his long, thin legs dragging against the ground. "Oh my- Erik! What have you done to him?" she cried, standing against the bars and reaching out to him. "Erik! Erik, look at me! Please!

The man that held the Phantom laughed. "The most feared man in Persia!" he mocked, face twisted into an evil smirk. "They failed to realize he is only human."

The cage door swung open and Erik was tossed in. He hit the floor hard and let out a soft moan. The door clanged shut and he flinched, eyes opening to little slits. Christine was the first figure to come into his line of vision, her worried eyes meeting his.

"What have they done to you, my love?" she whispered, touching his unmarred cheek gently. Her hand traveled slowly down to his bare shoulders, hovering over and yet not touching the angry welts that a whip had left against his pale skin. Those very welts snaked down from his shoulders, mixing with old scars,to his back and around to his chest. His captors hadn't even had the decency to give him back his shirt, leaving him to freeze in the chilled air. Burned marks, as if someone had taken a lit cigarette to his exposed skin, were scattered between the welts and bruises were starting to form along his rib cage. Christine let out a choked sob. "How could they?"

"The way everyone always has," Erik's voice, usually so strong was now reduced to a mere whisper, sounded in her ear.

Christine ran a shaky finger along his jaw line, trying to hold back another sob. "I can't even hold you… without feeling like I'm… hurting you!" she cried.

Erik took a deep breath, grasping her hand and holding it to his lips. "The pain is nothing," he assured her. "I've long since learned to put it away in the back of my mind."

"What do they get from it?" Raoul asked from behind Christine. "Perhaps… if you knew something they wanted, but do they find _entertainment _in causing you pain?"

"Yes," Erik answered, pulling himself up into a sitting position. "The sultana does."

"That's sick," Madeleine gasped. "Twisted and sick."

"And what would you say," Erik began, tilting his head back so as to get a good look at her face, "to know that your son participated in it all when he lived in Persia?"

Madeleine went white. "Surely-"

"Oh yes, surely I did. The shah's mother wanted entertaining deaths and I had a warped mind for coming up with ways for them to come about. I was quite useful to the kingdom, apparently." Erik's voice was filled with self-loathing and mockery. He shook his head slowly, putting his hands to his face. They had not returned his mask when they'd finished with him. He was sure that the men that had beat him had been spurred on by the sight of hi face.

"Please don't say any more, Erik," Madeleine sobbed quietly. "Don't speak of such things."

"Why?" the Phantom demanded, eyes suddenly blazing. "Why shouldn't I? Should you not know what a _monster_ your own son turned out to be? What a _creature_? Why not, dearest _mother_? Because, perhaps – just perhaps! - you will remember the times you treated me no different than the _dog_! The days when I was nothing but an animal under your roof! An unwanted stray at that!"

Christine lay a gently hand on his shoulder, silencing his fury. He trembled under her light touch, his breath coming in gasps. She wrapped her arms around him and herself against his back, whispering calming words into his ear. "Please, love."

Silence reigned through the holding cell. Marie had backed away instinctively from the fuming man. If she hadn't been frightened of him before, she was now. Fear shown brightly in her wide eyes and was proven in every motion as she clutched her hands over her heart, as if begging it to be silent so that he wouldn't hear it and know of her fear. Madeleine sat sobbing quietly at his words.

Raoul glared at Erik. "Such cruel words to your own mother! How might I trust that you won't be equally as cruel to Christine when she crosses you?"

"Please, Raoul…" Christine begged.

"You didn't live under her roof!" Erik snapped. "You would never understand! Never _could_!"

"I'm sorry!" Madeleine burst out. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry! It will never be enough and should never be enough, but… I was going to make it right, if that's any consolation at all to your tattered soul."

Erik's eyes flashed again. "By sending me away!" His eyes danced with a look that neared to the same as that of the night of _Don Juan Triumphant_. "By sending me to an _asylum_? Yes! Yes, of course! That would make it all better, wouldn't it! Better for you and your lover!"

"I wasn't!"

He stood, unstable and with Christine helping him, but he was up, towering over everyone in the cage. "You were!" he screamed, voice echoing through the room. Any weakness that had been in it earlier was gone, replaced by an inhuman fury. Hispowerful voice filled the cage, pushed outward to the room and beyond. Itrang off the walls and filled everyone."I heard you! I was not deaf! You and he talked of it. You and he..." Erik sank to his knees, shaking with exhaustion and pain. He coughed wretchedly for some time before a drop of blood fell from his mouth, followed by another. He felt as if he might pass out until Christine wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close until his head rested in the crook of her neck. She rocked him gently, whispering to him that it was all right. To please be silent and rest then.

Madeleine sobbed into her hands. "If… if I were going to send you away and run away with him – that's what you think, isn't it? – then why would I not be married to him now?"

Erik forced his head up so that he met her eyes. "You're not?"

"No."

The Phantom lay his head on his love's shoulder once more, not having the strength to stay up. His mind raced horribly, trying to process what he had learned. "It was all for nothing then," he managed at last. He chuckled at that. "The story of my life."

"Still?" Christine teased softly, trying to lighten his mood.

Erik smiled up at her, running a hand through her curls. "No, love. You changed all that. And for that, I thank you."

* * *

"_The story of my life _

_is very plain to read. _

_It starts the day you came, _

_and ends the day you leave. _

_The story of my life begins and ends with you. _

_The names are still the same and the story is still the truth._

_I was alone. _

_You found me waiting _

_and made me your own. _

_I was afraid _

_that somehow I never could be_

_the man that you wanted of me._

_You're the story of my life_

_And every word is true_

_Each chapter sings your name_

_Each page begins with you_

_Stay with me here_

_Share with me_

_Care with me_

_Stay with me near_

_And when it began_

_I'd lie awake every night_

_Just knowing somewhere deep inside_

_That our love affair just might write_

_The story of my life_

_So very plain to read_

_It starts the day you came_

_And ends the day you leave"_

"Story of My Life" by Neil Daimond

(bonus points to those that can guess whose "Favorite Love Songs" album I got it off of!)

* * *

A/N: I love that song that I ended the chapter with. I was listening to (you get bonus if you guess it!) 's CD and I thought that the line said sarcastically would fit Erik so well, but then if Christine were to kindly remind him that his lonely life is behind him, the lyrics would totally fit them:being a hopeless romantic as she is, Saiko wanders off to indulge in more sappy love songs:

Lost Schizophrenic : Good heavens! You're a fast reader! I'm glad you've gotten to the point where it tells what she really did, so that I didn't ruin it for you. I would have felt rather horrible about doing so. Giovanni was great. Poor man… Father Mansart could have tried harder. I mean, c'mon, you just DON'T tell a little kid "you'll never see your pet in heaven." Trust me, people tried to tell me that when I was little and I plugged my ears singing "lalalala! I can't hear you!" lol.

Brittany: I'm glad you like that idea. I've mentioned it before that I really struggled with if I should bring her into this story or give her one of her own (a oneshot) and finally I decided that she would bring more depth the story, so in she went! Lol

Allegratree: It's funny you should mention the dinner party. I'm not just ecstatic about how it came out, though it might not be so far-fetched if you look at it this way: Madeleine didn't hate her son and after so many years of just assuming he'd gone off and died somewhere ( I mean, c'mon, he was 9 when he ran away) she is overcome with joy for seeing him and grief over her actions in the past. Christine sees all this and sees a bit of Erik's heartbroken self in her and therefore asks that he give her a chance. Erik goes to her only b/c Christine asks him to. :shrugs: It may still seem far fetched, but to me I could see it happening. Though saying that, I do agree about the music. I almost did the scene that way and now can't figure out for the life of me why I didn't do so. I had it all worked out in my mind that Marie was going to see him first and that she was going to be off looking for Madeleine to tell her the great news, Erik and Christine were going to start singing together, Madeleine was going to hear the lovely music, follow her ears and see them. Erik was going to throw a fit, and, like he does in his room in the story how it unfolded, scream at her not to touch him. Seeing as she would never let him touch her, he now says it to her. Why I didn't do it that way, I really don't know. I must admit, the only musical I've ever been blessed to see is Beauty and the Beast on Broadway. I've only recently become interested in them and plan to go see PotO this summer while it's on tour. Considering I'm absolutely in love with the soundtrack, I can't see how I won't love the play, but that's me. The music just lifts me off and takes me away. Music, lyrics, all of it. Now, I'm going to just ignore the fact that you said the title song was stupid, because that and "Music of the Night" are two of my very favorite songs ever. Lol. Haha, and it's okay to be opinionated. I'm rather that way too. I have a couple people at my school just about ready to ring my neck b/c of my political views and loud opinions lol. Thank you for your kind compliments and I hope you enjoyed this chapter as well :)

Golden Lyre: Haha! I'm glad you don't like him! I'm always pleased to hear my villains are despicable creatures. Makes my day. Haha, I get the biggest kick out of it when people call Raoul "the fop." I'm fairly new to Phantom, and so that's a new one for me, but it truly does describe him! I must admit, very quietly mind you, that I liked Raoul the first time I saw the movie. Then I read the book. Stupid stupid fool he is! Fop is such a lovely word for him. Oh, and don't worry, Nadir is around. He just didn't follow Erik into the room with Christine so he was spared the abduction.


	15. ch14

**Chapter Fourteen

* * *

**

A/N: Happy Easter everyone! God bless!

* * *

The light which had been burning on their entry to the cage had finally died. When it did, it plunged the small room and the cage's occupants into darkness. Silence had sprinkled the last few hours, cut now and again by Christine's voice as she sang softly, stroking Erik's hair gently. She strained hard to see her Phantom that lay motionless in her lap as her voice echoed softly off the concrete walls that were outside of the cage.

"Is he asleep?" Madeleine asked quietly.

"I think so," the diva answered.

"I wish they'd do something," Marie's small voice piped up. She had not said a word since Erik's outburst several hours before, and even now her voice was quiet and shy. "It's horrible… making us sit here like this. Hurting Erik like they did just to leave him without anything to help."

"They are horrible," Christine snapped, fresh tears coming to her unseeing eyes. "They're horrible creatures that should not even be called human!"

"Be careful what you say, my dear," Erik's weak voice sounded from her lap. "I've done worse."

Christine shook her head, though she knew he could not see. "No, Erik. You're nothing like them. No matter what you've done, you're nothing like these people."

The door to the outer room slammed open, light flooding in. Everyone in the cage ducked their heads away from the garish light. Kashim stood in the doorway, a smirk on his face. "Good evening." He moved closer to the cage, sneering at its occupants. "I honestly did not think they could make you look worse," he told Erik with a chuckle.

The Phantom shuddered, unable to respond.

"Come here, girl," Kashim instructed, reaching a hand to Christine. Her eyes grew wide and she clutched Erik to her. "Now, child! When the shah's orders come you must obey them! He will see you now." The smile turned uglier. "He will teach you many a thing, little one."

Tears spilled out of Christine's eyes and she let out a sob of horror. "Please… please let me stay with him… Please…"

The door to the cage was opened and Kashim motioned for her. "Now, girl."

"Leave her be," Erik rasped, his voice barely sounding as his own.

"Suddenly so valiant? It will do her little good." He hauled Christine up from her place, sending Erik tumbling. The injured man forced himself up, but saw Raoul's boots next to him before he could get far.

"He may be able to do her little good now, but I can," Raoul growled, grabbing their Persian captor by the wrist.

Kashim laughed. His voice echoed all around them, chilling them. "No, boy, I'm afraid you won't." He had Raoul against the bars before the aristocrat could blink. The younger man struggled, thrashing about as best as he could, but, as said, it did little good. Darkness tented his vision as the dark hand closed against his throat and finally he went limp. He fell to the floor with a thud.

"Raoul!" Christine screamed, Kashim's servants pulling her from the cage and two more holding Erik back. Injured as he was he was giving them a good fight. "Erik!"

"Oh shut up!" Kashim growled, striking her across the face. "Shut your pretty face and learn to accept it."

The two servants threw Erik back against the bars and he sank down against them with a moan. "Christine…"

* * *

She had been sobbing when they dragged her from the room. She continued to scream and cry as they threw her into a small chamber, demanding that she change into something presentable for the shah, and finally, when they returned, her tears had dried. Hatred radiated from her when Kashim offered a hand to her to escort her. She slapped it away, glaring horribly at him.

"Your wish, Mademoiselle," he said simply and showed her to the shah's chambers.

A beautiful cat was the first thing that met her at the door. It rubbed up against her and purred. She followed the red carpet under her feet to the throne. The man that had tried to abduct her twice now was sitting there, eyes trained on her. She frowned, setting her jaw and promising herself that she would not cry.

"My dear," he greeted, "welcome. What? Nothing to say?"

Christine shook her head slowly, her curls falling around her face as she did so.

The shah smiled. "You must learn to let them go. Both of them. Monsieur de Changy and your deformed friend Erik will both die here. The two women will live, of course, with us in Persia."

"I'm not going to Persia with you."

"You are mistaken if you think any other way."

"I'd rather die!" Christine announced, her voice bouncing off the walls in all its strength. "I'd rather die a hundred deaths!"

The shah's eyes flashed as he stood and covered the space between them, catching her chin in hand. "You will not, child. You will live with me and please me how I demand of you." He waved his hand in the air, signaling to someone. "For now, I've brought in a girl from Paris to be your maid. She will make sure you do not… harm… yourself."

Christine watched a girl enter and bow. A veil covered her face, only allowing the smallest bit of blond hair to peek out from under it. Blue eyes met hers.

"Be gone from here!" the shah roared. A sadistic smile crossed his face and he turned to the girl who had just entered. "You will bring her in here in two hours. She will witness the death of her beloved Erik."

"No!" Christine screamed, feeling the guards' hands clasp around her as she struggled towards the man who only laughed. "No! Leave him! Please!"

"Stop your crying, my dear! It'll be slow and painful, I can assure you. Two hours."

* * *

"Erik?" Madeleine's voice was the first thing to enter the Phantom's ears and he forced himself to look up. She was kneeling next to where he had collapsed, her hand stretched out carefully. He shifted his eyes to where she was dabbing blood away from his head. He pulled from her touch, growling something she could not grasp. "Stay still," she ordered sternly. "Always so…" She took in a deep breath. "Goodness, Erik, just hold still a moment."

"They took her," he whispered, voice sounding dejected.

"Yes."

A sob welled up within him, causing his entire frame to shudder. He brushed her hand away, noting very briefly that she had not shied away from touching the right side of his face, which had been bloodied by his fall against the bars, and buried his face in his hands. She touched his shoulder gently. "Erik…?"

"After everything!" he sobbed.

"After everything you haven't lost her yet," a voice said from the door. "That girl who loves you for your own sake."

Erik looked up, startled by the familiar words andregretting the quick action. "Nadir!"

The Persian man smiled and held up a set of keys. "Those young fools don't recognize me. They had no idea I was stealing the keys from under their noses." He opened the door to the cage and took in the sight. Marie was slowly standing, a traumatized look washed over every bit of her. Raoul was finally coming to, his hand at his throat where bruises were beginning to form. Nadir's jade eyes turned back to his friend. "You look terrible."

"Thanks," Erik answered sarcastically. He forced himself up, using the bars to steady his shaking legs. "We have no time to waste. The shah-"

"It's been taken care of for a bit," Nadir responded with a shrug. Erik watched him, as if expecting a further explanation. "Meg Giry has shown herself to be quite a talented actress."

* * *

Christine spun on her new "maid" as they entered the room. "Leave!"

"You really want that?" Meg Giry laughed as she pulled the veil down.

The diva's eyes widened in shock and she flung her arms around her friend's neck. "Oh Meg! I knew there was something familiar about you! How could I not see? Are you here with your mother and Nadir? The police?"

"Monsieur Nadir Khan, yes."

"So we're saved?"

Meg nodded with great delight. "Is everyone safe?"

Christine's eyes began to tear up again. "Erik's… Oh Meg! I thought he was dead when the dragged him into the room! They'd beaten him so badly. How are we going to get him out? He's hurt so badly… He'll never be able to stand."

The petite blond gave her best friend a strained smile. "He's the Phantom of the Opera, Christine. You can't kill a ghost. Come, we should not keep them waiting."

"Surely they will have guards at the door!"

"Do you not think we've taken care of that? Come."

* * *

LostSchizophrenic:I came close to crying too. I was in the car with my mom and she was asking what on earth was the matter with me and I said "He died! But she married him before he died!" and that made me happy. Obviously I've twisted the book and the play and the movie all together in one big knot. Erik's not dead nor dying of a morphine addiction. That would rather put a damper on my story, ne? I may try to add that idea about the girl into the story somehow. That's a very good idea. :wanders off to ponder how she might put it it:

Golden Lyre:Yes, Erik is very frightening when ticked. You should read Kay's "The Phantom"! He's overly frightening! But ah… good 'ol Erik! We love him still. :dies laughing and rolls around a bit until she gathers breath back: Le fop! That's lovely! I adore that! Le Fop! Haha! It suits.

Lynx Ryder:Haha! Erik's fortune changing with me writing? It always gets worse before it gets better. Of course my favorite characters always live… well… that's not true. I lied. I've killed faves off before.. :looks ashamed: Isn't the song pretty? Michael Crawford sang it, well at least the version I heard! It was so pretty and reminded me so much of Christine and Erik that it just had to be written down

Lil Shady:Haha! Bonus points for you! (not that it does anything…) My family and I have had that CD for ages and it was the first time I was introduced to PotO and Michael Crawford. (well, I might have been introduced to Michael Crawford through Hello Dolly) So when I went to see the movie, never seeing the play, I was shocked to find out that the Phantom wasn't the one who ended up with Christine and by goodness! Wasn't he supposed to sing that lovely song with Christine! Haha… too bad, but oh well. He sort of does at the end. I'm glad you like the story! Please feel free to review again if you'd like :hint hint:


	16. ch15

**Chapter Fifteen

* * *

**

A/N: the last bit of the chapter will be switching back and forth between Erik and Christine and Raoul (you'll understand when you get there), but please understand that it will be jumping back and forth several minutes at a couple points so that it will cover Erik's POV and then Christine and Raoul's. Just a little FYI, though I probably just confused you even more.

* * *

The room was quiet as Nadir led them into it. Their boots made very quiet clanking sounds that echoed through the halls as they walked.

"Where is she?" Erik demanded.

Nadir turned back to his old friend, watching him carefully. He'd draped his own jacket over the Phantom's battered shoulders before he'd permitted him to go to his Christine. So great was the younger man's desire to see his angel that he nearly forgot his own injuries, pushing them aside acting as if they did not exist. Erik had long proved himself a very good actor. And though he forgot them with his mind fully focused on the task at hand, the Persian knew that once it ended there'd be hell to pay. Erik had never been a good patient.

"Patience, Erik," Nadir said lowly.

"I am not patient."

This brought a smile to Nadir's lips. "I know."

The door on the other side of the room clicked open and the two girls entered. Christine's eyes lit up when she saw her love. She ran to him, flinging her arms around his neck and sending him stumbling back several steps. He caught himself against the wall and nearly sunk to the floor as he clutched her tightly to him. She was sobbing and holding him tightly. "I never want to be parted again," she sobbed. "I thought they'd killed you when you didn't get back up."

Erik watched her, stroking her hair in a comforting manner. "It's all right now, Christine."

The room, which had been dimly lit, was then plunged into darkness. Electric lights took the place of the gas lamps that had been burning and filled the place with unnatural light, causing Erik to wince. A slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the room, causing each of its occupants to look around in a mild panic.

"Bravo!" the shah's voice echoed. A panel in the wall slid to one side and he appeared, followed closely by Kashim. "Very clever, Nadir Kahn, in what you did. I had nearly written you off and out of my plans. Surely, I thought, he would not be so loyal after this man killed his only son, but…" He waved his hand dismissively. "You were the one to help him escape Persia in the first place."

"Killed his son?" Christine echoed from Erik's side.

"Oh?" the shah mocked. "You didn't know? Surely Erik's told you of his time here. The Angel of Doom, Mother called him. As did the entire kingdom. He killed quite often and quite well. Did you enjoy it was much as you seemed to, Erik?"

"Enough," Erik growled, his voice cutting the air like a knife.

"You will not speak to the shah like that!" Kashim growled.

"I shall speak to whomever I choose however I choose!" the Phantom retorted.

"Not and live," the shah returned with a shrug. "Though you won't live as it stands now."

"I wouldn't speak so haughtily," Nadir advised. "Do you think I'd rush in here unprepared?"

"No, of course not. You were always very good at what you did."

The green-eyed man smiled slowly. "Yes… I'd advise you to give yourself up, your highness, considering this entire place has been taken by the police force."

"Impossible!" Kashim gasped. "We would have known… No… They would not have made it such a public thing. France arresting the Shah of Persia! Impossible."

"You are so sure of yourself," Nadir answered mockingly. "And yet your voice sounds as one only convincing himself of a non-truth."

The shah's eyes grew wide as he stared at his former chief of police. "Kashim. Take care of things here." That said, he left through the door he had entered.

Nadir noticed the slight twitch in the other Persian man's face as he pulled a gun from his jacket pocket. "You should have stayed out of Persia, _Monsieur,_" Kashim said, his voice dripping with sarcasm in the last word. He turned his eyes to Madeleine who froze in place. "Now, Madame, you are his mother, no?"

"Yes," she answered, her voice barely above a whisper.

A small shrug lifted Kashim's shoulders and dropped them again. "Then fair is only fair, isn't it? Erik, you stole my father's life, so I shall take your mother's."

"That's supposed to upset me?" the Phantom asked. He was still leaning against the wall, using it to support the majority of his weight. "We have never been on good terms."

"Really?" Kashim's voice was light. "I'm sure you've learned to use a good bluff in your time, Angel of Doom. Quite good at lying, even?" He aimed the gun at Madeleine. "If you care or not, she will die. And then Mademoiselle Daaè. We will go down the line, I suppose, until I get to you. You will watch them all die, Erik, knowing that, once again, it was your fault."

Erik forced himself from the wall, Christine clinging desperately to his hand. He looked down at her, his mismatched eyes meeting her worried ones. A small, forced smile crossed his lips as he reached a hand to touch her cheek briefly, reveling in the feeling of her turning into his touch. Finally he turned back to the man holding the gun. "I will not be responsible for any of their deaths," he said slowly. "But yours… Yours I will delight in."

A wicked smile crossed Kashim's face at these words. "Really? Then perhaps I've brought the Angel of Doom out of his dormant slumber? I was just about to think you'd gone soft in your years as the Opera Ghost. Hardly a death on your record and all of that wiped clean if you were to help take care of us, hmm? It doesn't matter what the motives. Come at me. I dare you to! I want to see the infamous Angel of Doom that made everyone in Persia cower in fear!"

"You want to see the Angel of Doom?" Erik echoed, his eyes bright with anger and fever.

"I want to see the Angel of Doom dead."

"Unlikely."

"We shall see." The Persian man turned his gun toward Erik, who was slowly moving towards him.

The shot echoed through the room, catching the Phantom's arm only slightly, leaving a small gash. It did not slow him, nor even made him flinch. He was on Kashim in the blink of an eye, his hand around the younger man's throat and had him against the wall. The Persian's eyes grew wide as he began to struggle.

Erik took hold of the other man's gun and twisted his wrist, causing the gun to fall to the ground. "You wanted to see the Angel of Doom, and yet now you look ready to flee for you life."

Kashim continued to struggle, thrashing wildly. "You're not human!" he gasped. "You're nothing more than an animal! A creature! A _monster_ and a _devil!_"

"Too bad for you," Erik said slowly, "that my temper is far beyond being held today."

Marie screamed at the sound of their captor's neck breaking. She clung desperately to Madeleine who put an arm around her.

Erik let the dead man fall to the floor and turned to the others in the room, noting the two shaking women. Raoul stood near Nadir, both with stoic expressions on their faces. Christine crossed the space between them in half a moment's time and held him as he collapsed to the floor.

"It had to be done," Nadir muttered quietly. "A horrible deed, but it simply had to be."

"He _killed_ a man!" Marie wailed.

"Would you have rather died?" Raoul spoke quietly. "Would you have rather seen all of us die one by one? Shot dead and then the next to follow in the same fate?"

"No," she murmured.

The sound of boots running on concrete floors made everyone look up and Mifroid appeared in the doorway. His eyes widened at the scene, then came to focus on Erik who he had not seen without his mask. He forced his eyes elsewhere and quieted the mutterings behind him with a stern look. "Is everyone… all right?" he managed. "Where is the shah?"

"He disappeared down a passage way," Raoul answered. "We have no idea where it might lead."

"That's not true," Erik mumbled as he forced himself up. Christine clung to him, murmuring to him that he should lie down. All of it was over and the police would handle it. The Phantom shook his head. "No… This place… is a replica… of the Mazanderan palace… I can show you… where the tunnels go…"

"You don't look in any shape to-" Mifroid began, but was cut off.

"It doesn't matter!" Erik was now on his feet, starting towards the secret exit. "Do you want to find him or don't you? I am the only one that can show you."

Mifroid nodded and barked instructions to his men. Some were to escort the small group out of the building and to safety, and some were to go with him and the Phantom to where the shah had run.

"Erik!" Christine called to him. "Please… be careful."

"After all this, I will not leave you now."

"Oh! Monsieur le Phantom! I nearly forgot! I found this," Meg Giry said hurriedly as she produced a white mask from the folds of the robes she wore. "I thought it looked like yours."

Erik grasped it immediately, slipping it on. "Thank you." He took a deep breath and turned to Raoul. "Watch out for her."

The vicomte's eyes widened in disbelief at his words. "Yes… Certainly."

Erik nodded his approval of the words and disappeared down the hidden passage.

* * *

The passageway was dark and just how Erik had remembered it in Persia. At least, how it had been in his plans. Mifroid followed him closely, his eyes trained on the dark jacket that fit a bit snuggly over the Phantom's broad shoulders.

"He would have followed this passage to the rooms down below," Erik explained.

"It must have taken him years to do this…" Mifroid mused. "How could we not have noticed?"

"Hush!" Erik growled out suddenly. Every footstep fell silent as he turned his attention to what seemed to be a solid wall. "There! Don't you hear it?" he demanded in a hushed whisper.

Mifroid strained his ears. "I'm afraid not. What is it I'm to hear?"

"That!" Erik hissed in exasperation. How could they not hear it? The low voices on the other side of the wall. The shuffling of boots and the pulling of something - perhaps barrels of some kind? – through the room. "Listen."

The sound of the footsteps echoed out of the room and finally stopped, as if they had left. Erik moved himself soundlessly to the door and pulled the lever to bring it up. The room was filled with barrels, and on closer inspection, they found them full of gunpowder.

"This would blow the entire place!" Mifroid exclaimed.

"There's little we might do about it," Erik responded with a shrug. "Let it go up."

"Yes, do," the shah said from behind.

Erik turned his eyes to him, frowning slightly. "I will finish our bargain here, sir, if you might allow it. Send your men away and keep everyone at a good distance."

"But you-"

"I will deal with myself. Leave now."

Mifroid found himself stumbling out of the room, ordering his men to follow.

"And what might you plan to do?" the shah asked.

"Kill you."

"Might you? You won't have time to get out."

"Then I shall not."

The shah chuckled. "And your girl?"

"She's in good hands." Erik's eyes flickered to a rope that lay on one of the barrels. Convenient, he thought idly.

The shah barely put up a fight as the Phantom's hands did their quick work. The elder man was strung up with hardly any effort put into it.

The fuse was growing far too short and he knew there would be barrels elsewhere in the building. He took a deep breath and forced his body forward, ignoring the racing pain as he stumbled through the corridors.

* * *

"Monsieur!"

Mifroid looked back to see Christine Daaè and Raoul de Chagny running towards him. The young diva's eyes were wide with fear. "Where is he?" she demanded. "Where is Erik?"

"He told us to go, Mademoiselle. There was little we could do but to obey his wishes. Now, please move back. The place is set to go up."

"Go up?" Raoul echoed, eyebrows knit.

"Gunpowder," Mifroid answered, coaxing them back further.

"But Erik's in there still!" Christine cried desperately.

"Mademoiselle, there was little we could-" His words were cut off by the explosion.

Everyone ducked down on instinct, away from the blast as it set debris flying here and there. Christine let out a cry of anguish and Raoul had to hold her back.

"But he's in there!" she sobbed. "Let me go, Raoul! Let me go this instant! He's in there and we have to find him! Erik!" Her voice had turned to desperate screaming as she sobbed and fought against her former fiancé.

He gripped her harder. "Christine! Get a hold of yourself! No one could have survived that!"

She turned to him, ready to turn her wrath against him until she saw tears standing in his blue eyes. He brought a shaky hand up to her shoulder and she launched herself into his arms, sobbing and moaning her love's name over and over.

* * *

He could see the street lamp' light against the darkness of the sky. He could see the moon's light. Just a bit further and he would be out of that forsaken building and back with his Christine. The explosion shook him hard, sending him into the wall and then rolling again. He let out a cry of pain and shuddered on the ground. Erik's mismatched eyes turned upward to see if the ceiling would come down upon him, crushing him. Contrary to how his luck had been falling, it seemed in decent shape. He'd been far enough away from the blast to give him time to escape.

He forced himself up and down the hall, pulling his injured body from the rubble that had been a doorway. Looking back it had been a miracle that he survived the explosion of all. Perhaps God _had_ been watching out for him.

People swarmed here and there, trying to get fires put out and get questions answered.

"Monsieur!"

Erik turned to see Mifroid and the chief of police looked at him expectantly. "You have no worries about the shah of Persia," the Phantom said quietly. "He went up in his own explosion. Terribly tragic, don't you think?"

The police man laughed at the twisted humour in it. "Yes, terribly. Your girl is over there. Horribly distraught, I daresay."

Erik nodded his thanks and forced his aching legs to move him forward. "Christine…" he began, his voice dying off when he came upon them. His Christine being held tightly by the vicomte de Chagny. He saw them pull apart and Raoul whisper something to her. She nodded and turned her large, dark eyes toward him. He felt his head spin and his knees give way. What did it matter? He had always known it would turn out like this… Who, after all, could love a monster?

* * *

"Oh Erik!" Christine sobbed into Raoul's shirt. "My love… Why did he have to stay?"

"I was wrong about him," Raoul whispered. "So very wrong." They pulled apart. "Will you ever forgive me for how I treated him? It does little good now, but…"

Christine nodded slowly and turned her eyes back towards the smoldering building. She blinked once, thinking perhaps her eyes were playing tricks on her. Erik stood there, eyes wide. Then he collapsed into a heap on the ground.

"Erik!" the diva screamed.

Raoul released her as she ran for her love, falling by his side. She cradled him to her, sobbing his name and begging him to wake. "Raoul! Please! We need to get him help!"

The aristocrat nodded. "We'll get him to my summer house. A doctor lives close by. He's very good."

"Can he save him?"

"I hope so, Christine. We will do all we can."

She nodded, fresh tears welling in her eyes as she held him close to her again, silently pleading for him to wake.

* * *

A/N: Angst is my specialty, can you tell?

* * *

Mariah:Thank you so much! I'm pleased to hear that you think the moments are powerful. That really makes me feel as if I've accomplished something in this story. Yes, you might be right about the Christine/Raoul thing. That would be my hatred for Raoul peeking through…. Lol

LostSchizophrenic: I think Raoul has really started to understand a bit more of Erik through this, and it makes him a more likable character (in my opinion) I'm not a huge fan of Luciana… so it was more Erik and Giovanni I hurt for when she died in the book. I hope your little sister is enjoying it!

Golden Lyre:I'm sorry you can't find it. It's so blasted expensive here in the States. I got mine from the library, therefore I have to give it back. I wonder if I just disappeared with it and gave them the money that it says on the cover if they'd be too angry… Hmm… Lol!

Lynx Ryder: hehe… I'm an equal opportunity injurer! Lol! Yeah, poor Raoul… I'm starting to like the one that is emerging from this story… Confound it! And goodness, Naomi! Surely you should know that with my writings, something else can ALWAYS go wrong! C'mon! Now Erik thinks Christine's betrayed him all over again! Never any rest for the weary, what can I say?


	17. ch16

**Chapter Sixteen

* * *

**

A/N: Just a warning to my lovely readers: I will be out of town until Friday afternoon and will have no access to a computer. Sorry! I'll try to write the next chapter Friday afternoon when I get back :)

* * *

Thebit of timewas a blur. Madame Giry met them as they were loading Erik into a buggy to take him to Raoul's summerhouse. Nadir pulled her aside to fill her in on the details.

Christine was in a daze. She did not notice that Raoul and Meg were at her side the entire time, nor that Madeleine was finally acting the part of a mother to her injured son, instead of leaving the role to Marie, or leaving entirely. All Christine noticed was Erik. He had not given her any sign of life as the lifted his wiry body into the carriage or when she had climbed in behind him, resting his head on her lap. She stroked his hair absently during the bumpy ride, holding him as best a she could to keep him from jolting around.

She barely noticed their arrival at the house until Meg laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "It's time to bring him inside, Christine."

The diva nodded without a word and let herself be led after his still form. She sat down in the chair next to his bed and did not move until the doctor came. Even then Raoul had to pull her from the room. She looked at him frantically, eyes begging him to give her some hope. "It's all right, Christine," he assured her quietly. "The doctor needs to look at him. He can help him. He's the best here."

"Erik will be quite upset if they take his mask off…" she babbled. "You will tell him not to, won't you? Erik would be so unhappy… You know how he gets…"

"Of course."

"Christine, perhaps you should get some rest," Meg offered.

"No!" the wide-eyed girl screamed suddenly. "No please! I have to go to his side! He can't die now…"

"He won't die, Christine," Raoul promised, turning worried eyes to Meg.

Meg turned, seeing the doctor's young helper coming down the hall. "Sir! Might you be able to give my friend something to calm her nerves? She's had quite a shock this last bit."

"Of course, mademoiselle."

* * *

Raoul let out a strained sigh as he leaned against Christine's closed door. "I never thought she'd go to sleep…"

"She was in hysterics," Meg murmured. "I'm worried about her. What if he _does_ die?"

The young aristocrat clenched his fist together and let them loose again. "We'll deal with that when the time comes. One bridge at a time."

"Yes…" She turned her eyes up to the tired man. "How are you holding?"

"Oh I'm fine."

"You've been through a lot too, Raoul... If you need anything, just let me know."

Raoul looked at her and noticed the light tent of pink on her pale cheeks. He gave her a smile that made it deepen to red. "Thank you very much, Meg."

* * *

"Drink this."

Madeleine looked up to see Nadir. He held a teacup with saucer under it. She took it gratefully and sipped. Her face contorted for a moment and she looked up once more.

"Russian tea," Nadir explained. "Erik makes it. Tastes horrible, but works wonders. I added a couple of drops of brandy as well."

The aging woman nodded and sipped at it again. "Has the doctor come out yet?"

"No."

"Then we know nothing."

Nadir sighed, glancing back to the hall that led to Erik's room. "Your son, Madame, is a very strong willed person," he said slowly.

"You believe he'll live?"

"I do."

Madeleine nodded. "Then there's hope."

* * *

It was two agonizing hours before the doctor emerged from Erik's room. He looked exhausted and almost irritated as a small group gathered around him. "It's not good," he said at last, moving to take a seat that was meant as a decoration in the hallway. "There's a half healed bullet wound in his left side, though you already knew of it?" He dirrected hisquestion at Raoul, who nodded in return. "He's been beaten, leaving gashes and welts over his back, shoulders, chest… Whoever did this…" He faded off for a moment, shaking his head in disgust and forcing himself to get back to his diagnosis. "Broken ribs, seemingly from the same beating as some of the other wounds. His left wrist is fractured and he appeared to have a slight concussion."

"Will he be alright?" Madeleine asked quietly.

The doctor looked up, meeting her questioning eyes and then looking back down at his bloodstained hands. "There's also internal bleeding, but I'm not entirely sure from what. It's causing quite a bit of a problem…"

"The bullet," Nadir piped up, "was dipped in poison. He's been fighting its affects for the last several days."

"Poison?" Raoul echoed. "When did you discover that?"

"It began taking affect right after the performance. Erik thought it best if we kept it quiet."

"A lot of good it did!" Raoul growled. "Keeping something like that-"

"Forgive him for not trusting you entirely," Nadir retorted, his jade eyes turning dark with anger. "He kept it from Christine as well… Heaven knows why, I told him it was foolish! She found out and we were dealing with it."

"They poisoned him to begin with?" Marie gasped.

"The shah was frightened of him," Nadir said. "With good reason, I assure you."

"I'll go rouse Christine," Meg offered softly. "She'll want to see him."

"He's still sleeping," the doctor muttered tiredly. "I gave him quite a bit of laudanum to keep him still. I don't know what that poor man's been through, but it gives him hellish nightmares. It took me half an hour to get him to settle down."

"But she may see him?"

"Yes… if she needs to."

* * *

Christine was not sleeping, as she was supposed to be. Meg's gentle knock was answered with a muffled response from inside and when the ballerina entered she found her dearest friend tying a black ribbon into her hair. "Did the doctor come out?"

"Yes. You may go in."

Christine nodded and was out the door without a word. She glanced at the small crowd mingling around the doctor and the door. She didn't want to know what the doctor had to say about his condition. He would live. He had promised he wouldn't leave her.

The room was only lit by the setting sun that washed in through half open windows. Erik lay on the white sheets, looking pale and ill. He didn't move as she entered and she assured herself the doctor would have drugged him, whether he liked it or not. "Erik?" she whispered, inching closer and finally coming to sit next to his bed. Sweat glistened off his half-masked face and lines of pain were etched deeply. He let out a half groan when her cool fingers touched his fever-burnt skin.

"Please…" his mumbled, trying to move from her touch. "Please… I'll go away. If you let me… go I won't come back…"

Christine forced back a sob as she realized what horrible dreams he was suffering through. "Shh, Erik. It's okay."

"Christine…?"

"Yes, I'm here. Right here, Erik. I'm with you."

He shuddered in his sleep. "Why? Why did you do it? Why… Christine?" he begged desperately, clutching the covers around him. "I love… you."

"I love you to!" Christine whispered urgently, running her fingers along his face. "Please, Erik, come back to me. My angel…"

Another groan escaped his lips and his eyes fluttered open. They took a minute to focus, but finally came to rest on the woman leaning over him. "Christine?"

"Yes, I'm here," she assured him, reaching her hand to take his.

He pulled back suddenly, his eyes flashing wildly. "No!" he gasped. "No no! Don't…" His shoulders heaved up and down as he struggled to catch his breath. He only succeeded in bringing about a coughing fit that doubled him over in bed. He felt her cool hands placed gently on him. One lay on his tattered back, careful of his many wounds and the other against his shoulder. "Get… out!"

"What?" she managed, hurt clear in her voice. "Erik… Shh. You need to rest. To sleep…"

"Go away!" he roared suddenly, still shaking with weakness and he tasted blood rising from his throat. He coughed violently for a moment before wiping it from his lips.

"But my love…" she begged, tears streaming down her face. "Please…"

"I saw you both. Just… just get out!"

She stumbled to her feet, eyes glassy with unshed tears. She flew from the room and strait into Nadir.

"What on earth happened?" he demanded.

"Erik… I don't know! He said he saw us. What does he mean? Nadir, what on earth is he talking about?"

"I don't know. Go take a seat for a minute, Mademoiselle. I'll speak with him." He watched her nod and turned to the door, flinging it open. The sight of Erik leaned over the side of the bed, shivering in pain and exhaustion made his anger cool only slightly. "You fool," he growled, only exasperation left in his voice. "What have you gone and done now?"

"What have I… She…"

"Loves you more than you will ever know!" Nadir hissed. "What did you say to her?"

"I saw her… and her vicomte…" Erik growled, still gasping. "I saw them… He held her. He was holding **_my_** Christine!" Tears were streaming down his face. He turned away from his friend, pulling his mask of to wipe them away angrily.

"She thought you were dead!" the Persian nearly screamed. "She was grieving and he was holding her back from running into the smoldering building after your sorry corpse!"

Erik stared at him a moment, dumbfounded. "She… Oh what have I done?" he cried.

"Shall I send her back in here?"

The Phantom looked horrified. "What could I say…?"

Nadir allowed a small smile to grace his lips. "I don't think you'll need to." With that, he left.

A small knock on the door came two moments later and Christine stuck her head in. She saw Erik laying against the pillows, exhausted. He held one shaky hand out to her. "My dear… I'm so sorry…"

She choked back a sob before running to him, burring her face into the crook of his shoulder. He wrapped his good arm around her and they held each other like that until they fell asleep.

* * *

A/N: It's not finished. I think all that's left is the epilogue, but I'll have several days to run it over in my head. Who knows what horrors I might come up with!

LostSchizophrenic:Yes yes… many a question for poor, unfortunate Erik… But somehow I think Christine has grown up enough at this point to be able to hear it all. Glad your sister enjoys the book! Gives you an excuse to reread it, ne?

Golden Lyre:I think a lot of people end up ordering it offline. It seems the cheapest rout and the easiest. Kay's novel goes deep into Erik's past, starting at his birth, scooting upward through his time with the Gypsies, his years with Giovanni the architect, then to Russia and Persia, then going through Europe and onward to helping to build the opera house and into the whole Christine ordeal. The ending is marvelous, albeit a bit sad. I truly hope you get a chance to read it. It's a must for any obsessee, I think.

Lynx Ryder:Haha… I suppose I'm a decent patient, as long as everyone's away from me. I don't like being touched anyway, but if you touch me when I'm sick… I am not responsible for my actions. Lol! You said "confound it"! Yay! I'm not the only person in the world that says it! No, I didn't kill Erik, but I sent him through hell on earth. I do that quite well.

Pemberlee:Haha! There's just a dash of angst? I'd hate to see what you'd consider a lot of angst. :grins: Glad you like my phic! Oh do read it! Please! If you can get a copy I'd highly advise you to. I really had no use for Nadir before reading it. I mean, c'mon, he betrayed his so called "friend" in the original… Never had any use until Kay's novel. He's such a deep character. :huggles Nadir until he glares:


	18. epilogue

**Epilogue

* * *

**

A/N: Just a warning, I gave Madame Giry a first name. I don't think I've ever seen that she has one… Poor lady. If she does and I've gone and changed it, I'm dreadfully sorry.

* * *

Christine stirred awake late the next morning. She mumbled something quietly before realizing that there was someone next to her. Someone with his arm around her. Her quickly building panic dissipated when she looked up to see Erik. The panic was replaced with worry as she saw his mouth was turned down in a deep frown and he looked as if he were still fighting the nightmares. "Erik?" she murmured into his ear, careful not to startle him. 

His eyes shot open and he took a deep breath. A set of mismatched eyes looked about for a moment before meeting hers at last. He released his breath and the frown was replaced with a soft smile and he pulled her closer.

She nestled closer to his chest, careful of his injuries. "Were you dreaming?"

"Yes," he responded, his voice raspy.

Christine watched him carefully. "Are you all right?"

He nodded and laid his head back against the pillows, allowing himself to fall deeper into them and pull her along. "All of this… has provoked old memories," he explained quietly.

"But it's over now."

"Will it ever be?"

Christine frowned and ran her hand along the exposed side of his face and into his disheveled hair, causing him to turn into her touch, eyes lulling shut. "Yes, love. We'll be happy."

"Yes…" he breathed, on the edge of sleep once more.

The opera singer propped herself up on her elbow, smiling down on him. "I love you."

Erik's eyes opened once more, looking up at her with more love than he could ever express with words. "And I you, my angel." He smiled at her and kissed her hand that had finally come to rest on the side of his face. "Perhaps you should go see if they've left you some breakfast."

"Will you be alright?" she demanded, her eyes beginning to fill with tears of irrational panic at the thought of leaving him for any time.

"Yes," he assured her with a chuckle. "I'll sleep. Don't worry, Christine. After all we've been through… I won't leave now."

She nodded, laughing and wiping the tears away. She learned down, kissing his fever burnt cheek and left him to his rest.

* * *

"He'll pull through." 

Madame Giry glanced to where Nadir was leaning against the wall. "You say that as if you are trying to convince someone, Monsieur."

Nadir gave her a small shrug. "I am convinced, Madame."

"Antoinette."

"Excuse me?"

"My name, Monsieur Khan, is Antoinette Giry."

Nadir nodded his acknowledgement, giving her a small smile as he did so. "In that case, I must insist that you call me 'Nadir.'"

* * *

"Did you see that?" Meg demanded, pulling back around the corner where she had been looking. "Oh did you see that!" 

Raoul chuckled at the petite ballerina. "Perhaps I'm not as much of a snoop as you, but…"

"I'm not a snoop!" Meg gasped, putting on a decent act of pouting.

The aristocrat grinned. "Your mother is a widow, is she not?"

"Yes, and I do believe Monsieur Khan is a widower."

"What makes you think that?"

"Well he _had_ a son, apparently. And he spoke of his wife when we were coming to rescue you. Very brief, but in past tense and with a sad note in his voice."

Raoul nodded as he took a seat. "Yes… I suppose so. Well, nothing's impossible, right?" he laughed.

Their eyes met for a brief moment and she looked away. "No, I suppose not," she answered shyly.

* * *

The next days moved on at a much easier pace after that day. Mifroid had come to the house very briefly to announce that the shah had been pronounced dead in the fire – nothing they hadn't seen in the papers within the first week – and his mother had slinked back to Persia with a very small percentage of the people that they had brought with them to France. There would be no need to fear her in the future, as the sultana's power was through her son. 

Erik was improving with a rate that alarmed the doctor at first. Madeleine laughed aloud when she heard him exclaiming to Raoul that it "simply wasn't human!"

"Monsieur, I assure you, he was an exceptionally quick healer as a child and I'm sure Monsieur Khan can account that he has continued to be through his years."

Nadir had nodded in silent agreement.

The doctor had let out a sigh and mumbled something, leaving the house in a flustered manner. They found out later that though he was improving physically, Erik's temper had gotten the best of him with the doctor and part of a dinner tray had followed him out of the room. That had explained all too much of the doctor's irritated exit from the house.

It was three weeks later that Christine entered the room that the Phantom had been staying in and found him pacing the floor. She sighed. "Shouldn't you be resting?"

"Hang it all," he growled. "I've been resting the last weeks and I'm tired of it. I'm absolutely aching to get out of here. I'm ready to go home."

She led him back to the bed and he lay down without too much trouble, but pulled her after him. She let out a small exclamation of surprise as she landed on the soft mattress at his side. "Something's bothering you," he said simply.

"N-nothing's bothering me, Erik," she stumbled over the words. "Oh! Have you seen Meg and Raoul in the last couple of weeks? They are positively falling for each other! It's lovely. I predict a wedding by this time next year at the absolute latest."

"Christine."

"And I'm not entirely sure that Nadir and Madame Giry aren't-"

"Christine, please."

She let out a sigh. "Do you promise not to be angry with me?"

Erik raised an eyebrow, dreading what might come. "Of course, my dear."

"Kashim… That was… yes that was his name. He said… right before you…" She stopped, eyes holding a frightened look.

"Angel," the Phantom whispered, running his hand through her hair. "I won't be angry."

"He said you killed Nadir's son," she said in a rush, looking down at the suddenly very fascinating bed sheets under her.

Erik did not respond for a moment, and then he took a deep breath. "I did. Reza was the boy's name. He was dying… A horrible death."

"But you killed him?"

"It was a merciful death," he whispered.

"No death… A child, Erik!"

"Don't lecture me on this, Christine!" he growled, doing everything he could to keep his voice and temper in check. "I loved that boy. I didn't know what else I could do for him. He was all Nadir had left but there was nothing the doctors or I could do. That is what I did, Christine. What I do! I kill. I'm quite good at it, you know!" Tears were streaming down his face at this point and his voice cracked, allowing a sob to come from him and he shook.

Christine wrapped her arms around him. He looked up in surprise. "No, Erik. You… I don't agree with your methods, but you did what you could for him."

They lay there together for the next few moments, crying softly in each other's arms. Christine laid her cheek against his chest and listened to his steady heartbeat. "I love you so much." She pulled herself up, looking at him. "May I go back with you?"

"Your old rooms are always open to you, my love." He paused, sitting up in the bed. "Unless…" He stood suddenly, motioning for her to stay where she was. She watched him curiously as he crossed the room to his bag that he had packed when they had first come. He pulled a small pouch from it and fingered it a moment.

"What is it?" Christine asked as she stood as well, closing the distance between them. She reached forward, taking the pouch from his hands and, upon receiving silent permission, opened it. A simple gold ring that her eyes knew better than even the diamond ring she had returned to Raoul slipped out. Her eyes became glassy with tears again. "Oh Erik… You kept it."

He swallowed hard. "Yes," he breathed. "I could not bare to throw it away… I always…" He took a deep breath, quelling his raging emotions.

"They were never obscenities by your tongue," Christine whispered.

"What?"

She let herself smile as she played with the ring in her hand, turning it over lovingly. "When you first asked me to marry you… Oh such horrible words, Erik! You said that I did not care for your voice so much when you spoke of things such as marriage… That words such as 'wife,' 'husband,' and 'love' were reduced to obscenities by your tongue. I never thought such things."

"Then…?"

Christine smiled as she slipped the ring onto her finger. "I love you," she said sincerely.

Erik stared at her in awe for a moment before gathering her up in his arms and kissing her.

She pulled away suddenly and his eyes looked at her questioningly. She smiled and placed a hand on his mask, removing it. "I love you, Erik. Unconditionally. All of you." She leaned forward and they met again, all the love they felt filling the kiss.

* * *

"Raoul!" 

Raoul looked up from his book to see Meg Giry running into the room, a full out grin barely concealed. He gave her a questioning glance.

"Well… I wasn't snooping, mind you, just walking by, but I do think that Christine's Phantom just proposed to her!"

Raoul smiled, laying his book down on the sofa. "I'd say we best pretend we know nothing of it."

"They'd be rather upset that I heard, wouldn't they?"

The aristocrat laughed. "Yes they would." He reached out his hand to her. "Would you care to take a walk, Mademoiselle?"

Meg blushed and placed her hand in his. "Certainly."

Raoul pulled her hand to his lips, a smile still on them. "And you were snooping."

The dancer fumed for a moment. "I was not!"

Their eyes met for a moment before laughter echoed through the room.

* * *

A/N: Well that's it! How do you say "The End" in French? I knew I should have taken that class during high school! Anyway, if you can't tell, I'm a tad bit of a hopeless romantic and therefore had to have everyone happy. Erik and Madeleine are somewhere on the way to having a not-so-screwed-up relationship, Christine and Erik are now engaged (finally!), Raoul turned out not so bad of a guy and has Meg now (perhaps!), and hmm… Madame Giry and Nadir? Who knows… Leave it to your minds or if they just have a mutual hurt in the past. I'd love to do a sequel. I've really enjoyed this, but I just don't have a plot line as of now. I'll be thinking and if anyone wants to toss me a small plot bunny they'd like to run about in my head, go right ahead and email me with it. JackFan2 did that for me with a PotC fic (yes, Naomi, the one I STILL haven't finished :hides:) . I'll give you credit for the idea. I've got a possible oneshot that might follow this up, so keep your eyes peeled. 

Oh yeah! Email is " takadasaiko at hotmail dot com" (sorry, it doesn't want to write it...)

Also wanted to say sorry for not getting this up yesterday. I tried! Really I did! FFdotnet was against me!

* * *

GoldenLyre:Does it end EC? Hmm.. Are you SUUUUURE you want it spoiled? Email me if you do b/c I don't want spoil it for everyone. Sorry for the confusion. Poor Christine was confused too! Lol. But it's all good. They're together in the end and that's what matters. 

Clever Lass:Perhaps unnecessary, but personally I didn't think it was farfetched with his temper the way it is… But ah well, to each their own. Thank you so much for all your reviews over the story! They've really been helpful. Like I said, I'm thinking about trying to do a sequel, so if there's a full out reconciliation between Erik and Madeleine, it'll probably be there. I mean, she was pretty cruel to him the first 9 years of his life… It'll take a while for that relationship to get built up, but they're working on it!

LostSchizophrenic:grins: you just make my day with your kind words! As to a sequel, I hope so! If I can come up with an idea or if someone wants to toss a plot bunny to me that I like well enough to twist into a story, I will.

Lynx Ryder:Haha! Sending people through hell is my specialty… hehe… My friend Audrey would get the biggest kick out of hearing that! Thanks so much for your reviews and hope to see ya on the sequel if I get it out :)

Lady Baelish: I'm really glad I checked the reviews before uploading the last chapter. I almost missed answering this one and I would have felt just horrible :( Anyway, that was a very funny picture you planted in my mind... A mumified sultana... Hehe... Let's see... I play with ages a lot, though I'm sure I stretched it a bit for these. I just thought her so interesting that she had to be a villian. Alright, I can't remember _exactly _how long Erik was in Persia, but this is my general idea as to ages of people and how old they'd be during the story and such:

Erik when entering Persia: 19

When leaving: 22

Spent three years

Time in-between: 28

Sultana: 15 when shah was born

Shah: 19 when Erik came

Sultana: 34 when Erik came

Sultana: 37 when he left

Sultana: Currently 65

My general idea for it... :shrug: Stetch the imagination a bit, if you please. :) But thanks for pointing that out and I hope that puts it into semi more realilistic perspective...

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THANKS YA'LL!

TS


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